CH631672A5 - CONTAINER WITH LID, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PREPARATION AND PRESERVATION OF FOOD. - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a container with a lid, in particular for the preparation and preservation of food.

In general, the present invention relates to kitchen containers, in which the closure device acts as protection against splashes, while having an access opening which can be closed in a sealed manner.

There are many types of kitchen containers that are commonly used for the preparation and preservation of food. A particularly interesting type of container is that comprising a tank capable of withstanding contacts and shocks due to mixing devices actuated by hand or electrically, and which receives a closure device which can be adapted in a sealed manner in order to allow the storage of unprocessed and prepared foods, protected from air and liquids.

Normally, the vessels of these containers have a continuous wall, usually circular or rectangular, and a closed base. In practice, these tanks normally have a side wall which is sloping or curved, so that the closed base has a somewhat smaller area than that of the upper opening. Various materials, such as metal, glass, and plastics, have been used to make container vessels that are rigid or deformable. The closing devices are usually plate-shaped structures, which are molded from a material which can be subjected to elastic stresses and which can adapt to the periphery on the upper edge of the tank.

During the preparation of many foods, they often have to be beaten or subjected to a mixing operation. Liquid preparations, such as pasta and creams, frequently require vigorous stirring with the resulting difficulty of retaining all of the preparation inside the tank. This preparation can be sprayed out of this tank by splashing the surrounding objects, or it lifts and overflows over the upper edge to descend along the outside surface of the wall of this tank.

Taking this problem into account, an adaptation cover has previously been provided, acting as a protective device.

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against splashing. The latter, which can be used in place of the normal cover, is constituted by an annular element which fits on the periphery of the vessel of the container. A central opening provided in this protection device gives access to the interior of the tank to allow mixing and other preparation activities. This adaptation cover essentially has a peripheral rim, oriented inwards, intended to retain the food inside the tank.

Although adequately performing the intended function, namely the function of preventing splashing and dripping, these adapter covers have not been shown to be entirely satisfactory. These are indeed auxiliary devices with a specialized function and which, therefore, are used intermittently. Between occasional uses, such an adaptation cover is kept independently of the container. In addition to the possibility of being able to get totally lost, such an adaptation cover generally requires research when it is desired to use it. As a food is often kept inside the container after its preparation, such an adaptation cover becomes an additional independent element which must be handled and cleaned separately.

Other problems associated with preparing food in traditional containers have not been resolved. For example, when not in use, the tanks and lids are usually set aside separately. Frequently, a tank is set aside with several others, and the same is done for the lids. It sometimes takes a while to find the covers that fit the tanks at the time of use. In addition, as the user must hold the tank in one hand, the preparation of food is often limited to successive operations instead of being able to be simultaneous. In addition, food that falls out of the tank, especially liquids that overflow along the outer wall thereof, creates unsightly and sometimes even dangerous conditions on the work surface.

The object of the present invention is to remedy the preceding drawbacks and still others, which are inherent in containers of the prior art, and thus to provide a container comprising a tank receiving a closure device which can be adapted in leaktight manner. for the purpose of keeping food away from air and liquids, this closing device also acts as a protection device against splashes during the preparation of food.

This object is achieved thanks to the invention as defined by independent claim 1.

An embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

fig. 1 is a developed perspective view of a container comprising a tank, a cover and a cap, these elements being constructed taking account of the characteristics of the invention;

fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the elements of FIG. 1, in the assembled state;

fig. 3 is a partial sectional view, on a larger scale, of the encircled area, designated by 3 in FIG. 2, this figure showing more particularly the details of the assembly between the tank and the cover;

fig. 4 is a partial sectional view, on a larger scale, of the encircled area, designated by 4 in FIG. 2, this figure showing more particularly the assembly between the cap and the cover;

fig. 5 is a partial sectional view, on a larger scale, showing the details of the assembly of the cap on the base of the tank;

fig. 6 is a partial sectional view, on a larger scale, showing another possibility of adaptation of the cover on the tank;

fig. 7 is a view in vertical section, corresponding generally to the illustration of FIG. 2 and showing the assembly of the container, as it appears when, during the preparation of a food, an electric mixer of the traditional type is used, which is shown in broken lines;

fig. 8 is an elevational view, partially in section, illustrating more particularly an alternative embodiment of the container according to the invention;

fig. 9 is a partial vertical sectional view, on a larger scale, taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 and illustrating more particularly a preferred pouring spout provided on the tank;

fig. 10 is a partial view, on a larger scale, of the tank of the container according to FIG. 1, this view also illustrating the spout of this tank.

In the various figures, the same elements are designated by the same reference numbers.

Fig. 1 shows a container having the characteristics of the present invention, this container comprising a vessel generally designated by the reference number 20 and a closure device comprising an annular cover generally designated by the reference number 21 and a cap generally designated by the reference number 22. The tank 20, as can be seen in FIG. 2, comprises a continuous side wall 23, of vertical appearance, comprising an internal surface 24, an external surface 25 and upper and lower edges 27 and 28. The lower edge 28 is curved inwards and meets the bottom 29 which extends it to form a tank that can contain a liquid. The upper and lower surfaces of the bottom 29 are designated by the reference numbers 30 and 32 respectively.

According to fig. 3, the upper edge 27 of the side wall 23 is extended by an assembly element in the form of a peripheral rim 33 extending outwards and downwards from the edge 27 and ending in a edge 34. The side wall 23 has an inclined upper part 35 which widens up to the upper edge 27. It is preferable for the upper edge 27, which is the apex comprised between the peripheral rim 33 and the inclined upper part 35 the side wall 23, either curved along a radius ensuring a uniform connection between the rim 33 and the part 35.

A continuous wall 37, the internal and external surfaces of which are designated by the reference numbers 38 and 39 respectively, hangs from the lower surface of the base 29. This wall 37, which widens downwards, will be described in more detail thereafter.

The annular cover 21, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, is constituted by an essentially horizontal panel 42 having an upper surface 43, a lower surface 44 and a peripheral zone 45.

A complementary assembly element, which can be removably adapted to the assembly element provided at the upper edge of the tank 20, is provided as an extension of the periphery 45 of the panel 42. This complementary assembly element, that we can see in more detail in fig. 3, comprises an inclined wall which widens upwards to a curved junction zone 48 from which a lip 49 extends downwards by widening. The lip 49 ends, at its lower edge, by an internal projection 50. This projection 50 is preferably in the form of a semicircular bead.

It has been found that a satisfactory fluid-tight seal can be obtained between the tank 20 and the annular cover 21, by providing the same angle of inclination for the lip 49 and the flange 33, so that the surface lower of this lip 49 is juxtaposed against the external surface of the rim 33. In addition, this rim 33 has a length allowing it to receive the junction zone 48 and the projection 50 according to a narrow assembly. In order not to allow the elimination of the sealed assembly between the rim 33 and the lip 49, the inclined wall 47 is offset, relative to the vertical, by an angle greater than that of the upper part 35 of the side wall 23. If , for example, this upper part 35 has an inclination of 15 ° relative to the vertical, the wall 47 will then have an inclination of 20 ° to ensure that the initial contact between the tank 20 and the cover 21 takes place in the zone included between the upper edge 27 and the junction zone 48. The lip 49, which can be subjected to elastic stresses, fits over the flange 33 according to a tight assembly.

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The panel 42 has a normally central opening 52, as illustrated in particular in FIG. 4, the periphery of this opening being designated by 53. An assembly element, being in the form of a wall 54 and having an upper edge 55, extends upwards from the upper surface 43 of the panel 42 and it extends the periphery 53.

A cap 22, formed by a horizontal panel 57 comprising a complementary peripheral assembly element, is removably mounted on the wall 54 to close the opening 52 in leaktight manner and thus form an assembly constituting a fluid-tight container. As shown more particularly in FIGS. 2 and 4, the panel 57 has an upper surface 58, a lower surface 59 and a periphery 60. A cavity is formed in the lower surface 59, all around the periphery 60, to receive the upper edge 55 of the wall 54. This cavity is formed by an internal wall 62 extending upwards from the lower surface 59, as well as by an external wall 63 and an upper connecting wall 64 extending between the internal wall 62 and the external wall 63. L the space existing between the internal wall 62 and the external wall 63 is such that the wall 54 of the cover fits tightly between these walls 62 and 63. Like the lip 52, the walls 62, 63 and 64 can be subjected to elastic stresses, so that the wall 54 of the cover can fit tightly in the cavity formed by these walls 62, 63 and 64. The wall 63 ends in an outer rim 65 which forms a grip for the fingers in order to allow to lift and remove the cover 22.

A second wall 67, associated with the cover 21, hangs from the lower surface 44 of the panel 42 at the periphery 53 of the opening 52. This second wall 67 ends with a lower edge 68 and it has an external surface 69 and a surface internal 70.

The annular cover 21, as shown in FIG. 6, can be fixed to the base of the tank 20. For such an assembly, this annular cover 21 is turned over so that its second wall 67 is oriented upwards from the panel 42. When the tank 20 is placed on the cover 21 overturned, the second wall 67 thereof fits inside the wall 37 of the base of the tank. The walls 37 and 67 have essentially the same inclination and have relative dimensions such that the internal surface 38 of the wall 37 fits against the external surface 69 of the wall 67, before the lower edge 68 of the wall comes into contact. wall 67 against the lower surface 32 of the base 29 or before the lower edge 40 of the wall 37 comes into contact against the lower surface 44 of the panel 42. In this way, a friction contact is made between the surfaces 38 and 69.

Fig. 7 shows the container assembly according to the present invention, in a preferred arrangement for vigorous stirring during the preparation of a meal. The annular cover 21 is assembled in normal position on the top of the tank 20, and this as described with reference to FIG. 3. The cap 22 is temporarily attached to the base of the tank 20, as illustrated more particularly in FIG. 5. The opening 52 remains free by making the inside of the tank 20 communicate with the outside atmosphere.

An electric mixer, generally designated by the reference number 72, is partially illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 7. This electric mixer 72 comprises a head 73, in which the motor and the control mechanism are normally housed, which impose a rotary movement on the mixer assembly, comprising an axis 74 and a blade or other rotary device 75. L 'sketch 72 presented in broken lines graphically represents an electric mixer of a type commonly available on the market and well known. To meet various mixing requirements, most traditional electric mixers have variable speed control. At very high speeds, food particles, especially liquids, tend to be thrown out of the tank. This phenomenon occurs particularly near the edges of the tank, due to the deviation imposed on the liquid by the side wall of this tank.

The liquid deflected upwards by the side wall of the tank strikes the lower surface 44 of the horizontal panel 42 and is returned towards the interior of the tank. The second wall 67 of the cover creates a complementary deflection in order to prevent the exit of the food preparations through the opening 52. The seal formed between the lip 49 and the rim 33 prevents the liquid from escaping over the upper edge. of the tank 20 and below the annular cover 21.

As illustrated, the axis 74 of the mixer passes through the opening 52 which is of sufficient dimensions to receive the conventional dimensions of the mixer, in order to allow the blade 7 5 to be placed in close contact with the internal surface 24 of the wall. lateral 23 in order to ensure complete mixing. It is not envisaged that, during the mixing operation, the axis 74 should come into contact with the surface 70 of the walls 54 and 67 but, by suitably choosing a material which can be subjected to elastic stresses, nor the neither the mixing accessory nor the cover 21 will suffer due to sudden or prolonged contact, shock or pressure. Before or after preparation, the cap 22 is fitted on the annular cover 21, as illustrated more particularly in FIG. 2, in order to allow the food to be stored away from air.

Fig. 8 shows another interesting assembly of the constituent parts of the container according to the invention, and this is also illustrated in FIG. 6. The combined vertical height of the wall 54 of the cover and the thickness of the upper connecting wall 64 of the cover is less than the vertical height of the inclined wall 47. Consequently, in the case of assembly illustrated by fig. 6 and 8, the assembly rests on the junction zone 48 of the inclined wall 47 and of the lip 49. This assembly effectively increases the dimensions of the base of the tank 20 while ensuring that it has a markedly stable stability. increased. In addition, the inclined wall 47 and the lip 49 form a container which collects and retains the food particles which are projected over the upper edge 27 of the tank 20 and finally drip from the end edge 34 of the peripheral rim 33.

The assembly illustrated in fig. 8 is particularly advantageous when it is desired to make the maximum use of the total dimensions of the opening of the tank 20, for example during manual stirring or mechanical mixing. Frequently, during operations of this kind, the user must mix with one hand, while the other hand pours ingredients, which leaves the entire container without support by external means. This assembly according to FIG. 8 is also preferred for preservation, when the interior of the tank must be left in the open air, the cover and the cap being, however, in this case, attached to the tank and readily available as required.

45 Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show a cavity 77 formed in the tank 20 to act as a pouring spout. This cavity 77 has a continuous surface 78 which begins at the upper edge 27 and descends, through the peripheral rim 33 and the inclined wall 35, towards the terminal edge 34. The surface 78 extends substantially horizontally between the upper edge 27 and the end edge 34 over a given distance, to then tilt upwards in the direction of the upper edge 27. This surface 78 is also continuous with the inclined wall 35 and the peripheral rim 33, further forming an extension of the internal surface 24 of the side wall 23. It should be noted in particular 55 that a wall of the peripheral rim 33 remains below the cavity 77 and that the end edge 34 is not modified, so that an airtight seal fluids is also obtained between the cover 21 and the zone of the rim 33 which is adjacent to the cavity 77.

The container assembly according to the present invention is easily made from various materials. For example, the tank 20 may be rigid or flexible and it may be formed or molded from metal, glass or plastic. The annular cover 21 and the cap 22 are preferably produced from a material which can be subjected to elastic stresses, for example a plastic material. The entire structure formed by the tank, the cover and the cover is preferably molded in polyethylene or in any one of various vinyl compounds or thermoplastic synthetic resins, this choice being easy for specialists in this field. Like such

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container is particularly intended for the preparation and the conservation of food, the particular material of construction must be chosen to present physical characteristics compatible with the established standards of hygiene. As a result, the material chosen will be odorless, it will resist traditional acids and chemicals in cooking, it will not be absorbent and it will be able to cope with extreme temperatures.

Various changes and modifications to the container as described above with reference to the drawings can obviously be carried out without difficulty by specialists. For example, the in spout may have other shapes or it may be omitted at the choice of the manufacturer. In addition, the connection between the tank and the annular cover can be influenced according to the structure by which the cap is attached to this annular cover. Similarly, the annular cover may include peripheral connecting elements, modified in various ways, in order to allow in particular its use on existing containers of the traditional type. In addition, it will be understood that the illustrated form can be arbitrary. In fact, although a form of general cylindrical appearance has been envisaged, it is of course possible to provide other forms, for example a rectangular form, which will be equivalent from the construction point of view and from the operating point of view.

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2 sheets of drawings

Claims (15)

631,672 2 1. Container with cover (21), in particular for the preparation and preservation of food, comprising a cover constituted by a flat panel (42) having a central opening (52) and a peripheral connection means (45,47,48 , 49, 50), a tank (20) comprising a continuous side wall (23), approximately vertical, comprising a complementary connecting means (33) making it possible to cooperate, in a separable manner, with the connecting means (45,47, 48,49,50) provided on the cover, characterized in that the cover (21) comprises an assembly means (54) provided along the periphery of its central opening (52) and in that it comprises a cap (22) consisting of a panel (57) comprising a complementary peripheral assembly means (62, 63, 64) allowing the adaptation of this cap, in a removable manner, on the assembly means (54) carried by the lid. 2. Container according to claim I, characterized in that the assembly means (54) of the cover consists of a wall (54) having an upper edge (55) and extending upwards, while the means of complementary assembly (62, 63, 64), provided on the cap, consists of a groove oriented downwards and comprising an internal wall (62) approximately vertical, an external wall (63) spaced from the first, as well as a wall upper link (64). 3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that the space existing between the internal wall (62) and the external wall (63) of the groove of the cap (22) is of a dimension not exceeding the thickness of the wall (54) constituting the assembly means provided on the cover, these walls of the groove being formed of an elastic and flexible material. 4. Container according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the wall (54) forming the cover assembly means is extended by a downward wall (67) extending below the flat panel (42) of this cover. 5. Container according to claim 4, characterized in that the wall (54) forming the assembly means and the downward wall (67) of the cover are frustoconical and flexible. 6. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the continuous side wall (23) has an internal surface (24) and an external surface (25), as well as an upper edge (27) and a lower edge (28) ; a bottom having an upper surface (30) and a lower surface (32) and which continuously extends the lower edge (28) of the side wall (23), a substantially horizontal panel (42) of the cover (21) having a upper surface (43) and a lower surface (44), as well as a peripheral zone (45), an assembly element (54) being carried by the upper surface (43) of the panel (42), at the periphery of the opening (52). 7. Container according to claim 6, characterized in that the connecting element (33) provided at the upper part of the side wall of the tank consists of a peripheral rim (33) extending outwards and towards the bottom from the upper edge (27) of this side wall (23) of the tank and having a terminal edge (34), while the complementary connecting element (45, 47 to 50) provided at the periphery of the cover (21 ) consists of a peripheral lip (49), which can be subjected to elastic stresses, extending outwards and downwards from the cover panel and which can closely receive the upper peripheral rim (33) of the wall of the tank, this lip having an internal projection (50) which can be adapted below the terminal edge (34) of the flange (33). 8. Container according to claim 7, characterized in that an inclined upper part (35) of the side wall (23) of the tank extends downwards and inwards from the upper edge (27) of this tank, while an inclined wall (47) extends upwards and outwards from the panel (42) of the cover (21) to the peripheral lip (49) thereof, so that this cover panel (42) is situated at a level lower than that of the junction (48) between this inclined wall (47) and this lip (49). 9. Container according to claim 8, characterized in that the inclined wall (47) of the cover (21) forms, with the vertical, an angle greater than that of the inclined upper part (35) of the side wall (23) of tank. 10. Container according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the complementary assembly element (62 to 64) consists of a cavity formed in the lower surface (59) of the cap (22), this element complementary assembly capable of sealingly receiving the wall (54) constituting the assembly element of the cover. 11. Container according to claim 10, characterized in that the cavity of the cap (22) comprises an internal wall (62) extending upwards from the lower surface (59) of the cap (22), an external wall (63) spaced from the internal wall (62) and an upper connecting wall (64) extending between the internal wall (62) and the external wall (63) of the cavity of the cap. 12. Container according to claim 11, characterized in that the external wall (63) of the cavity of the cap ends in a rim (65) oriented towards the outside. 13. Container according to one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that it comprises a second assembly element (37) provided on the lower surface (32) of the bottom (29) of the tank. 14. Container according to claim 13, characterized in that this second assembly element (37) consists of a continuous wall (37) extending from the lower surface (32) of the bottom (29) of the tank and having a lower edge (40) capable of forming a support for the tank (20). 15. Container according to claim 14, characterized in that the cover has a continuous wall (67) extending downwards from the lower surface (44) and calibrated so as to be able to frictionally receive the continuous wall (37) s extending from the bottom (29) of the tank, when this cover (21) is inverted.