ES1185635U - Easy opening mixer container (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Container that allows the mixture or combination of two or more ingredients in the container itself, making a final preparation without necessarily having to separate previously the containers that form it, and characterized because it has a perimeter closure so that the content does not leave during the mixture and comprising a sealing edge (7), (8) and a closing edge (3), (4), where they fit and which has a groove or space in said perimeter (16) that allows pulling of the closing membranes using their tabs (5), (6), being able, if necessary, to be helped by closing tabs (9), (10) forming a hinge (12) that allows the container to be folded. Once the mixture has been made by pulling on the tabs, the consumer has only to open the container by dislodging it from its perimeter and taste the preparation (15) without having to carry out any transfer. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Easy opening mixer container.

Technical sector 5

Industrial sector, packaging.

Background of the invention

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The evolution that human beings have been experiencing in their eating habits is well known to all. More and more products are demanded of easy and fast preparation that also maintain their properties. To this end, in recent years many ways have arisen to present to the consumer products that try to meet these expectations, among others, containers that contain products that are sometimes pre-cooked or almost cooked with different compartments to, in this way, preserve the characteristics and properties of its contents just until the moment of its consumption, being the mixture of ingredients or simply its new location necessary to obtain the final preparation. To make the mixture, on many occasions it is necessary to open more than one container, open them separately and carry out a transfer and mixture of ingredients, 20 after having been previously heated on many occasions, resulting in an uncomfortable and even dangerous maneuver in some cases. In the market there is currently a variety of yogurts with cereals and other combinations that could also be used when using this new technology, nowadays they present yogurt on the one hand and on the other hand cereals or other ingredients that are presented together with the 25 yogurt container in the form of a lid, you have to separate them, open the containers and make the mixture with more or less success to avoid spilling anything. The invention presented here, allows it to make the mixture of said preparation without having to separate and open each of the packages individually and make a transfer of cereals to the yogurt container without risk of spilling the contents. 30

The packaging industry is strongly committed to the application of new materials for the food industry that precisely allow the contents to be preserved in the same container with two or more compartments in the best way, but also in the food industry the objective is also that the different ingredients of the same container can be cooked simultaneously and that each ingredient is cooked at its optimum point even if they have been kept in a common container and its final preparation, is also carried out simultaneously.

For example, in the case of salads, the consumer, once opened the container, 40 normally presented as a tray of several compartments, sealed by a very thin sheet or membrane of some kind of plastic, sachets with ingredients inside the container itself , which is normally difficult to open without the help of scissors or other useful, then, the different ingredients have to be transferred to a single compartment and then mixed. While this transfer is taking place, it is common for some 45 ingredients to leave the container falling to the floor, the table or the unwanted tray compartment. Then when adding the sauces or dressings, normally the user has to open a small package where the content is and then pour it into the mixture of ingredients, normally the user stains his fingers when doing this operation that ends, sometimes being annoying, dirty and uncomfortable. fifty

In the case of pasta, rice, etc., something very similar occurs, since not long ago different brands are presenting their food preparations separately, that is, in a container rice or pasta ready or almost ready for consumption and as part of

Same product, but separately. In some cases, the ingredients have to be preheated in their own container, and then carry out a transfer by pouring the contents of one container into the other container. With the present invention this process will be greatly simplified since the package object of the invention as a whole could be heated and then by actuating the opening tongue, perform the mixing of ingredients without danger of leaving the containers. . It is a solution for handling these types of preparations, making it much simpler, cleaner and safer in many cases.

To date there are no records on the market or published on any site about the existence of a container equal to or similar to the one that is the subject of the invention.

Explanation of the invention.

The invention is a package that can contain in the two or more components or ingredients of a final preparation preserved in an isolated manner in independent compartments and that allows mixing them quickly, comfortably and safely by the easy operation of a device that It causes communication between them allowing the mixing or joining of its contents while still the whole remains closed. By mixing the ingredients without necessarily having to open the container for the consumption of the final preparation, it is avoided that the consumer has to carry out a transfer of ingredients in an uncomfortable or unsafe way being able to prepare his mixture without having to open the container completely. This allows the preservation of the ingredients in independent atmospheres just before consumption with the advantages that this entails. It is a design, designed for the food industry, allowing the preparation of some fast food recipes in a healthier way that is comfortable and safe, but could also be applied in other industries.

This opening mechanism may have different configurations depending on their content and the final consumer to whom it is addressed. On the design presented here, modifications can be made that allow the better functioning of the ingredient mixing mechanism or changes in its appearance or appearance so that it can be more aesthetically appealing to the consumer, such as when the final consumer is child.

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If production requires it, they can be manufactured, single compartment containers and then combined to convert them at some point in the production chain, before consumption, into the container with more than one compartment, which can be Apply this innovative new opening and mixing method. Therefore, it could also be defined as independent containers, which at some point come together in a book or cover mode, being fitted in its perimeter and where one or more tabs protrude, which, when pulled, uncover said containers. It is possible that the edge of the container is very well closed or fitted, on its perimeter, making it possible, in cases that require it, the agitation of the container for a better mixture of its ingredients or an optimal seal of the set when 45 requires, for example, heating the product without leaving the container. Once the preparation is consumed if part of it remains unconsumed, it could remain in the container that could continue to preserve the final preparation.

The design of this package is aimed at facilitating the consumption of many food preparations 50 especially quickly and litter and its use in vending machines can open a new field to much healthier and savory combinations being able in many cases to prepare recipes in " His point". This is possible because it presents to the final consumer some better preserved products that can naturally

Eat on the go. Today, these types of food preparations are usually made up of foods with a high percentage of sugars, fats, preservatives, taste modifiers, etc. The packaging described in this document allows the consumption of healthier and more natural foods but equally fast and litter as each ingredient can be presented in its own atmosphere and not necessarily have to be handled separately.

The manufacture of this package object of the invention is simple since there are individual, not mixing, packages on the market that use a manufacturing method applicable to this invention, in addition many foods are now preserved in different containers but which techniques for its construction they could be used for the realization of this invention, therefore, the invention can be manufactured very simply. This is an advantage, since its production does not involve the use of unknown technologies. The techniques of "heat sealing" or thermal sealing, "thermoforming" or thermal forming, or sometimes the formation of parts by injection molds, extrusion ... etc, if necessary, are technologies applicable to the production of this container.

It is also important to emphasize that the package object of the invention can have different ergonomic and aesthetic designs depending on its content and which will be the final preparation, for example, if it will be exposed or not, to a microwave oven or the storage capacity for its transport. Depending on the preparations, the shapes of the containers may have a triangular or circular or square shape, or any other shape. The different possible variables are innumerable. The package is composed of two containers that in turn can be divided into basic parts:

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1.- Containers. They are the spaces where the ingredients are contained, which must be at least two and can be a combination of more by using compartments, can be produced on the same plate or tray or individually.

2.- Membrane. Part that separates the ingredients between containers and serves as closure. It can be made of different types of materials, although they are usually very thin sheets or membranes or film of some plastic or aluminum material, covers the compartments and is attached to them in its perimeter by gluing or thermal sealing or other method to achieve the desired closure. The drive tab can be a prolongation of the membrane like the drive tabs of most 35 packaged products. The actuation tab could be defined as an elongated actuation tab so that it can protrude from the container by the opposite section of the container so that it can be held and pulled comfortably.

3.- Collar, is the part of the package that is not covered by film or membrane helps to keep the package closed or folded as a whole and facilitates its handling. In the manufacturing process they can be part of the iron or plates that also shape the compartments, although it is an element that can be attached to them later by gluing, melting ..., as an independent part in the manufacturing. The collar acts as a closure by fitting the containers and can have a design in the form of a rail, buttoned or other design that fulfills the task. At some point, the collar may not close the two containers on its perimeter leaving a small space so that the tongue can be operated. This space will depend on the measures of the tongue that can vary.

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The system works very simply, at least two compartments facing one side are placed as book covers and with at least one membrane or film that separates them, which helps keep each product of each compartment in its own atmosphere. When removing this membrane or membranes or film, the ingredients of the

Container come into contact with each other by the effect of gravity or by safe agitation, needs. To remove the membrane, or membranes or film, the device that has been called a tongue is pulled by pulling on it, and which, being attached or being part of the membrane itself, in turn pulls it, so that the membrane or membranes of the containers without having to separate them previously. At present, 5 to make any kind of mixture in similar containers, the membranes or films that covered the containers should be separated independently, separating both parts previously. Not now. Finally, add that the opening tongue or tabs, depending on their shape or by means of an additive, can act as cutlery to consume the final preparation, or that a cutlery be part of the tongue. 10

Brief description of the drawings

"To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, an integral set of said description is attached, a set of drawings where, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, represented the following:

Figure 1.- Shows a general perspective view of the folded container ready for use. twenty

Figure 2.- It shows a perspective of the container constructed from a single tray with two compartments, which we call containers and with a single tongue as the drive system.

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Figure 3.- Shows a perspective of an example of a container constructed from two independent trays each with a compartment or container that subsequently joins in a section of their respective perimeters to form the container In this case the package consists of two tabs opening.

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Figure 4a.- It shows a construction sequence the drawings indicated as A, B, C, D, E, show the sequence of filling, sealing and folding the container from a single tray:

A - Open container ready to deposit the ingredients in the mixture. 35

B - The ingredients have been deposited in the container, ready to be covered by the film with its tongue.

C - The ingredients have been covered and sealed in their own atmosphere. 40

D - The container is folded as a hinge.

E - The package is ready for use by the consumer.

 Four. Five

Figure 4b shows the mode of use. The sequence of drawings I, II, III shows the process to be followed by the consumer:

I - The film is removed by pulling on the tongue, producing the mixture.

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II - The container is deployed.

III - The prepared one is ready for consumption.

Figure 5a.- It shows a construction sequence from two individually constructed containers and then joined to form the container, the drawings indicated as A, B, C, D, E and, show the different sequences.

A - Open containers ready to deposit in them the ingredients (13), (14). 5

B - The ingredients have been deposited each in their container, ready to be covered each with its film and with a separate tongue.

C - The ingredients have been covered and sealed in their own atmosphere. 10

D - The two containers are joined by a section of their perimeter.

E - The container is folded by positioning one on top of the other as a book or cover.

 fifteen

F - The package is ready for use by the consumer.

Figure 5b illustrates the mode of use of the package. The sequence of drawings I, II, III shows the process to be followed by the consumer: In both cases the package is used in the same way. twenty

I - The film is removed by pulling on the tongue, producing the mixture.

II - The container is deployed.

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III - The prepared one is ready for consumption.

Figure 6.- Shows a design of the appearance of the different package. Two circular containers in its section. This drawing serves to emphasize once again the possibility of giving the desired shape to the container, according to needs. 30

Figure 7.- Shows a design in which the containers can consist of more than one compartment, and different opening tabs.

Figure 8.- Shows a design of the package in which the closure is made merely as a cover without the hinge system. It shows a container as the cover of the other and also how the elements that make them fit match. In this case a system of "buttons".

Figure 9.- Shows a summary drawing of the package with a single opening tab. 40

Figure 10.- It shows a design of the package that is better adapted to existing production processes. With closure in its perimeter in the form of "rail". On the left you can see an explosive perspective and on the right another perspective already of the container ready to be used. Four. Five

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

The package can preferably be manufactured in two ways:

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1.- As the union two independent trays or containers, as can be seen in figures 3, 5a and figure 10, which fit perfectly with each other as shown in figures 1 and 10, constructed of a plastic, from techniques such as the thermal forming called "thermoforming" with the precise thickness to minimize costs but with a

design studied to provide the assembly with the structural rigidity necessary to enable its functionality, especially the operation of the opening device. Figure 5a is an illustration of the different steps to be followed for carrying out the invention described in the description of drawings. In figure 3 the container (1) for one of the ingredients (14) of a mixture or final preparation 5 (15) can be seen on the one hand as can be seen in figure 5a. Once deposited this first ingredient (14), inside it is tightly closed in its own atmosphere with a film or membrane (6) leaving its perimeter (7) closed by thermal sealing techniques or "heat sealing", and this in turn , for the part of the package called "collar" that fits both containers (1) and (2), and which in the figure consists of buttoned closure (3) and 10 in figure 10 a type of closure (3) is appreciated which is different, fitting as a rail. Likewise, as shown in Figures 3, 5a and 10, the package consists of a second container (2) for a second ingredient (13) as seen in Figure 5a, which once is deposited inside, and is also closed hermetically in its own atmosphere by a membrane or film (5) by its sealing edge (8) and is in turn surrounded by the part of the package called collar (4) and whose function is to fit with the collar (3 ) of the opposite container. The assembly coincides as shown in Figure 8 and Figure 10. To optimize the functionality of the invention, in Figure 5a it can be seen how the containers are produced separately and then joined by a section of their perimeter (9) and ( 10) as a tab and as if it were a book, 20 using this hinge joint as a hinge (12) a container is placed over another, matching the tabs (5) and (6) and the perimeter called "collar" being fitted thanks to its closure elements (3) and (4). Once folded the package is ready for use by the consumer as shown in Figure 1. This tab is not necessary as seen in Figure 10 .25

This figure represents how the container object of this invention can be manufactured, with a design that would more easily adapt to the production processes of existing packages today. For the use by the consumer, only the tabs (5) and (6) are pulled simultaneously, or first of one (5) and then of the other (6), 30 being able to help hold the hinge (12) that holds form the lash joint lashes (9)

and (10). When pulling, the sealing membranes or films (5) and (6) are also removed since they are attached at some point or are part of the same sheet that forms the membrane thus allowing the mixing of ingredients by the force of the severity, or by agitation if required. 35

2.- Similarly, the package can be produced from a single tray with two compartments or containers (1) and (2) as shown in Figure 4a, which is folded as a book in its midpoint as a hinge (12), with a membrane or closure film (5) and an opening tab that is attached at the middle of the assembly or is part of it (11). In figure 4a the different steps for its construction can be observed, and figure 4b represents the different steps to use the container when it is constructed in this way, as in the previous case, just have to remove the membrane or film (5) of both containers by pulling on their tongue, the hinge (12) can help as support. When the tongue is pulled out, the sealing membrane or membranes 45 (5) are removed, thus mixing the ingredients by the force of gravity, or by agitation if required. The ingredients (14) of the container (1) are in contact with the ingredients (13) of the container (2). The edge or collar of the same (3) and (4) prevents the mixture from leaving the container being able to heat in an oven if necessary, or even stir intensely without fear of spillage in some cases and thus perform the mixture. The membrane by means of the tongue-and-groove drive can be totally or partially removed. Then the container is opened, leaving the entire contents of the two containers in only one of them and ready to consume the final preparation.

In figure 10 a design of the container object of the invention can be seen in which the so-called collar is constructed as a rail and from two independent containers, in which, one (4) fits over the other (3). So that the tongue can be operated, the closing rail (4) has an opening or groove (16) to be able to remove the tongues (5) and (6). This slot (16) will be as large as necessary 5 to facilitate the removal of the membranes if necessary. This package embodiment is designed to be easily adapted to current production lines especially products such as yogurt combined with cereals, cookies, etc. Being the container of the base (2) that will house the yogurt and the container that acts as a lid (1) in which the crunchy ingredient is contained. 10

It should also be noted that the package, as presented in Figure 1, has a design that is more oriented towards easy handling by the user, especially hot preparations and therefore has the tabs (9) and (10) , is a version of the package that allows, for example, the almost instantaneous microwave preparation of a pizza or portion of pizza. In the container (2) the pizza dough is presented on the one hand and the filling or "toping" of the pizza in the opposite container (1). The two components are contained in the same container, but each in its own atmosphere within its respective containers (1) and (2), which allows each to maintain its full flavor and texture properties. The pizza dough during the storage or storage period does not absorb moisture from the filling or toping.

In Figures 4a, 4b, 5a and 5b, the process can be seen illustrated. It is just when we join the two compartments of the container or containers (1), (2) and by removing the membrane or film that separates them (5) and (6), when the base (13) and the filling (14) 25 are put in contact and can be cooked without unfolding the container until the final preparation has been cooked and the final preparation (15) is ready for consumption.

Likewise, this container can be used to mix two or more food components already cooked and ready to eat, such as rice already cooked in the container (1) and its sauce in the container (2) so that it You can store the final product without its ingredients coming into contact. In this way, the rice will not be "soaked" in sauce and will have a pleasantly cooked texture at the time of consumption. One of the advantages of this system is that by preserving the components of the food preparation in independent atmospheres, 35 high quality and very healthy fast preparations can be achieved with easy handling. Unlike the existing products today, this invention allows you to taste these food mixes through a clean, comfortable and safe mix for the consumer. It would also allow the consumer to have access to a plate of pasta already cooked but that will be "al dente" at the time of its consumption, or some crispy nachos with cheese 40 melted at the time. The combinations are many, even it can also be used for the preparation of a fresh salad to which you can add a sauce or vinaigrette without risk of spillage and make a mixture of ingredients by shaking the container without risk that the content is released. In this case the container that acts as a lid, could be divided into more compartments with independent actuation tabs 45 as can be seen in figure (7).

Claims (11)

1. Container that allows the mixing or combination of two or more ingredients in the package itself, being able to make a final preparation without necessarily having to separate the containers that form it, and characterized in that it has a perimeter closure 5 so that the content does not come out during mixing and comprising a sealing edge (7), (8) and a closing edge (3), (4), where they fit and that has a slot or space in said perimeter (16) that allows pull the closure membranes using their tabs (5), (6), being able to, if necessary, use closing tabs (9), (10) that form a hinge (12) that allows folding the container. Once the mixture has been made by pulling the tabs, the consumer only has to open the container by discarding it from its perimeter and taste the preparation (15) without having to make any transfer. 2. Mixer container according to claim 1 characterized in that it allows mixing 15 of its contents (13), (14) or ingredients by actuating one or more tongues (5), (6), which protrude from the closing perimeter of the set (7), (8), pulling them without necessarily having to previously separate the containers that form it. 3. Device according to any one of claims 1 and 2 characterized in that it can be manufactured from two individual containers called containers (1), (2), which may or may not be joined by a section of its perimeter (9), (10) as a hinge (12). 4. Device according to any of claims 1, 2 or 3 characterized in that it can be manufactured from a sheet of material divided into two or more 25 compartments or containers (1), (2) as a container that folds at one point as a hinge (12). 5. Device according to any of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 that may have in its closing perimeter (7), (8) with a space or slot (16) to facilitate the opening drive. Device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 whose perimeter closure (7), (8) can have a rail, button or any other shape that best fulfills the function of fitting a container (1 ) over the other (2). 35 7. Device according to any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 that maintains its ingredients (13), (14) in separate atmospheres thanks to a membrane or film (5), (6) that seals it to the perimeter of the container (7), (8) and can be removed without previously separating the containers (1), (2) from their initial arrangement. 40 8. Device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 which may consist of a single membrane for closing both containers and an opening tab attached thereto (11).  Four. Five 9. Device according to any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 that can be manufactured with any suitable material existing in the industry. 10. Device according to any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 that can have different ergonomics according to needs. fifty 11. Device according to any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 whose containers (1), (2) may have more than one compartment with a membrane common closure for all or an independent membrane with separate tongue each.  5