EP0718202A2

EP0718202A2 - Improved container, particularly for foodstuffs, provided with a dripping filter

Info

Publication number: EP0718202A2
Application number: EP95830539A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Claudio Guidi; Paola Incisa Di Camerana
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-12-23
Filing date: 1995-12-22
Publication date: 1996-06-26
Also published as: ITRM940226V0; IT233759Y1; ITRM940226U1; EP0718202A3

Abstract

The invention concerns a container (1; 10), particularly for foodstuffs, characterized in that it provides near the product outlet opening (14), under the lid (2; 11), a filtering dripping element (3; 13).

Description

The present invention relates to an improved container, particularly for foodstuffs, provided with a dripping filter.
More particularly, the invention concerns a container provided, near to its outlet, with a filtering element which allows to make the liquid contained within the container coming out without the getting out of the solid contents.
As it is well known, in the recent years the use of tin packaged foodstuffs has had a great development.
In the most cases, within the tin a solid product, having different shape and dimensions, along with a liquid product, provided for different reasons depending on the kind of product, are included.
It can be for example a liquid suitable to preserve the solid product, or a liquid produced by the same solid product, or a liquid useful as dressing for the solid product.
For example, we can mention the tinned beans, having their preservation liquid, the syruped fruit, in this case being contemporaneously present pieces of fruit and the syrup, the tinned tuna, wherein the seasoning oil is provided.
In any case, whichever is the product, and independently from the kind of container, the final user has always the problem connected with the need of extracting the liquid before then the solid, without the undue dispersion of the latter.
For example, everybody has opened a tin of beans and had the needing of eliminating the liquid contents before seasoning and using the beans.
To this aim, everybody will employ provisional solutions, e.g. dripping the liquid with the tin partially opened, using a small strainer or other containers, and so on.
Obviously, none of the abovementioned systems is particularly convenient, and each one involves a series of problems, among which the necessity of making dirty numerous containers simply to open a tin. In view of the above, the applicant have realised a solution allowing to open a container within which a solid product and a liquid product are contemporaneously present, said products needing to be partially or completely separated, without any difficulty and by extremely simple and fast operations.
Further, the solution according to the present invention allows to obtain the above results in a simple and cheap way, not adding too much high costs to the container manufacturing costs.
It is therefore specific object of the present invention a container, particularly for foodstuffs, characterized in that it provides near the product outlet opening, under the lid, a filtering dripping element.
Particularly, according to the invention, said container can be comprised of a metallic, glass, or different material container, suitable to contain foodstuffs, and can be of any shape, even if it will be preferably be cylindrical.
Further, according to the invention, said container can be provided with a tearing opening, a screwed opening, a restrained opening, or it can be of the kind that can be opened by a suitable tool, like a tin-opener.
According to the invention, said filtering element will be comprised of a net, realised with metallic material or any other suitable material suitable to be in contact with foodstuffs, the sizes of the meshes being chosen on the basis of the specific use of the container.
Still according to the invention, said filtering element can be fixed, or removable, in this second case being also provided with grip means for its removal.
According to a preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, said filtering element completely covers the outlet opening of the same container.
According to a further embodiment of the container according to the invention, said filtering element partially covers the outlet opening of the container, preferably it covers half of the opening.
Further, according to the invention, between said lid and said filtering element a free space is provided.
The present invention will be now described, for illustrative, but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the container according to the invention;
figure 2 is an exploded view of the container of figure 1;
figure 3 shows a particular of the container of figure 1;
figure 4 shows the filtering element of the container of figure 1;
figure 5 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the container according to the invention; and
figure 6 shows the container of figure 5 with the filtering element positioned.

Before beginning the description of the enclosed figures, it must be noted that they show a kind of container, particularly a metallic tin, that must be considered only illustrative, not being possible to limit the invention on the basis of the kind of container.
Coming now to the figures, it is made first reference to the figures 1 - 4, wherein a tin 1, having a lid 2, is shown.
Under the lid 2, a net filtering element 3 is provided, said element 3 allowing the coming out of the liquid contained within the tin 1.
Said filtering element 3 is provided with a ring handgrip 4 allowing its removal after the coming out of the liquid in order to allow the extraction of the solid products.
Between the lid 2 and the filtering element 3 a space 5 is provided.
In the solution shown in figures 5 and 6, a tin 10 provided with a lid 11, is shown.
Said lid 11 is provided with a ring 12 for automatically opening the lid 11.
Under the lid 11 a net filtering element 13 is provided, in this case covering only half of the opening 14 of the tin.
The filtering element 13 is in this case too provided with a ring 15 for its removal, even if for this solution it could not be necessary to provide its removal for the exit of the solid product, since half of the opening is free.
Obviously, in both the illustrated and described solutions, the dimensions and the kind of mesh of the filtering element 3 or 13 will be chosen in function of the kind of solid product.
As it is well evident, the solution suggested according to the present invention allows to evacuate the products contained within a container in a much more practical and simple way than it is possible up to now.
The present invention has been described for illustrative, but not Imitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it will be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined by the enclosed claims.

Claims

Container, particularly for foodstuffs, characterized in that it provides near the product outlet opening, under the lid, a filtering dripping element.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to claim 1, characterized in that said container is comprised of a metallic, glass, or different material container, suitable to contain foodstuffs.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said container is of any shape, preferably cylindrical.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said container is provided with a tearing opening, a screwed opening, a restrained opening, or it can be of the kind that can be opened by a suitable tool, like a tin-opener.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said filtering element is comprised of a net, realised with metallic material or any other suitable material suitable to be in contact with foodstuffs, the sizes of the meshes being chosen on the basis of the specific use of the container.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said filtering element is fixed on the container.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to one of the preceding claims 1 - 5, characterized in that said filtering element is removable
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to claim 7, characterized in that grip means for the removal of the filtering element are provided.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said filtering element completely covers the outlet opening of the same container.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to one of the preceding claims 1 - 8, characterized in that said filtering element partially covers the outlet opening of the container.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to claim 10, characterized in that said filtering element covers half of the opening.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that between said lid and said filtering element a free space is provided.
Container, particularly for foodstuffs, according to each one of the preceding claims, substantially as illustrated and described.