GB2307634A - Liner/lid for food receptacle - Google Patents

Abstract

A liner (2) having a lip (3) can rest upon the rebated edge (5) of a receptacle (1) which receptacle is a part of a larger container (4), so that when said liner is turned upside down the lip still rests upon said rebated edge so that in such a position said liner assumes the function of a lid for said receptacle. A first liner (2) can be placed in the receptacle (1) and a second liner inverted thereon as a lid, the lips (3) of both being received in the rebate. The larger container or tray (4) has a central aperture (6) for mounting on and around a pole.

Description

LINER/LID THE PRESENT INVENTION REFERS TO A LINER WHICH FITS INTO A RECEPTACLE. THE SHAPE OF THE LINER AND OF THE RECEPTACLE ARE SUCH THAT THE LINER, WHEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN, CAN ASSUME THE FUNCTION OF A LID. BOTH THE LINER AND THE RECEPTACLE MAW BE IN ANY CONVENIENT SHAPE SUCH AS A DISH, A BOWL, A POT OR A BUCKET. THE RECEPTACLE MAY FORM AN INTEGRAL OR A REMOVABLE PART OF A LARGER RECEPTACLE. THE LINER CAN BE MADE OF ANY RIGID OR FLEXIBLE MATERIAL.

THE INVENTION RELATE PARTICULARLY BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY TO RECEPTACLES INTENDED TO HOLD FOOD.

EATING AWAY FROM THE COOPING AREA, PARTICULARLY EATING OUT OF DOORS, IS BECOMING MORE POPULAR. IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT FOOD FROM THE COOKING AREA TO A RECEPTACLE WHICH IS SITUATED ELSEWHERE BUT ALSO TO BE ABLE TO COVER SUCH FOOD WITH A LID SO AS TO KEEP AWAY DIRT AND INSECTS. H18 FACILITY WOULD BE EVEN MORE DESIRABLE IF THE RECEPTACLE WERE TEMPORARILY OR PERAANENTLY IN A FIXED LOCATION.

ACCORDINGLY THE PRESENT INVENTION PROVIDES A LINER SHAPED TO FIT WITHIN A RECEPTACLE, SAID LINER HAVING A LIP WHICH CAN REST UPON THE REBATED EDGE OF SAID RECEPTACLE SAID REBATED EDGE BEING SO SHAPED AND DIMENSIONED THAT WHEN SAID LINER IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN SAID LIP RESTS UPON SAID REBATED EDGE SO THAT SAID LINER ASSUMES THE FUNCTION OF A LID FOR SAID RECEPTACLE.

SAID RECEPTACLE CAN EITHER BE A SINGLE UNIT OR CAN FORM AN INTEGRAL OR A REMOVABLE PART OF A LARGER DISH, BOUL OR CONTAINER CONSISTING OP MORE THAN ONE RECEPTACLE SUCH AS A DIVIDED PLATE OR A "CHIP AND DIP TRAY.

SAID RECEPTACLE CAN BE ROUND, SQUARE OR ANY OTHER SUITABLE SHAPE. IT CAN, IF REQUIRED, HAVE A TUBE OR APERTURE THROUGH IT SO AS TO ALLOW IT TO FIT ROUND A POLE SUCH AS A PARASOL POLE.

THE LINER AND THE RECEPTACLE CAN CONVENIENTLY BE MADE OF ANY PLASTIC MATERIAL e.g. POLYPROPYLENE BUT IT IS ENVISAGED THAT OTHER MATERIALS SUCH AS CHINA, PORCELAIN, TERRACOTTA, EARTHENWARE, POTTERY, WOOD, GLASS OR METAL MAY ALTERNATIVELY BE USED.

PREFERABLY, BUT NOT INVARIABLY, SAID LIP WILL EXTEND ALONG THE TOTAL CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID LINER.

THERE CAN, IF REQUIRED BY DESIGN OR FUNCTION CONSIDERATIONS, BE A CONTINUATION OF THE BORDERS OF SAID RECEPTACLE BEYOND SAID REBATED EDGE. SUCH CONTINUATION CAN ALSO OCCUR IF SAID RECEPTACLE FORMS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A LARDER CONTAINER.

PREFERABLY THE REBATE AT THE EDGE OF THE RECEPTACLE WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY DEEP TO ACCOMMODATE SIMULTANEOUSLY THE THICKNESS OF THE LIP OF THE LINER AND THE THICKNESS, WHEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN, OF THE LIP OF ANOTHER LINER AS A LID. THE UPRIGHT SIDE OF THE REBATED EDGE CAN BE EITHER VERTICAL, ANGLED OR SHAPED.

IF IT IS ANGLED OR SHAPED THIS MAY HELP IN KEEPING THE LINER MORE SECURELY IN POSITION WHEN IT ASSUMES THE FUNCTION OF A LID.

THE WIDTH OF ALL OR PART OF THE SAID RELATED EDGE OF THE SAID CONTAINER CAN IF REQUIRED BE WIDER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID LIP OF SAID LINER IN ORDER TO EASE PLACING OF SAID LINER IN AND ITS REMOVAL FROM SAID CONTAINER.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION ARE DESCRIBED BELOW BY WAY OF EXAMPLE ONLY WITH REFERENCE TO FIGURES 1 TO s OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS WHEREIN: FIGURE 1 15 AN ELEVATION IN SECTION OF A LINER FITTING WITHIN A RECEPTACLE.

FIGURE 2 15 AN ELEVATION IN SECTION OF A LINER TURNED UPSIDE DOWN ON A RECEPTACLE AND ASSUMING THE FUNCTION OP A LID.

FIGURE 9 IS AN ELEVATION VIEWED FROM ABOVE OF A NUMBER OF LINERS FITTING WITHIN A NUMBER OF RECEPTACLES FORMING PART OF A LARDER CONTAINER.

REFERRING TO FIGURE 1 THE ILLUSTRATED RECEPTACLE 1 AND THE LINER 2 ARE SHOWN CUT AWAY TO REVEAL THE LINER WHOSE LIP s IS RESTING ON THE REBATED EDGE 5 OF SAID RECEPTACLE. FOR PURPOSES OF CLARITY A GAP IS SHOWN BETWEEN THE CONTAINER AND THE LINER BUT IN REALITY NO GAP WILL NORMALLY BE APPARENT.

REFERRING TO FIGURE 2 THE ILLUSTRATED RECEPTACLE 1 AND THE LINER 2 ARE SHOWN CUT AWAY TO REVEAL THE LINER TURNED UPSIDE DOWN WHOSE LIP s IS RESTING ON THE REBATED EDGE 5 OF SAID RECEPTACLE IN WHICH EMBODIMENT SAID LINER ASSUMES THE FUNCTION OF A LID FOR SAID RECEPTACLE.

REFERRING TO FIGURE s THE ILLUSTRATED RECEPTACLE 1 AND THE LINER 2 ARE SHOWN VIEWED FROM ABOVE THE RECEPTACLE FORMING A PART OF A LARGER DISH 4 CONTAINING MORE THAN ONE RECEPTACLE EACH OF WHICH IS CAPABLE OF ACCOMODATING A LINER, A LID OR BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY. IN THE EMBODIMENT SHOWN OF THE LARDER DISH 4 THERE IS A CENTRAL AREA 6 WHICH REPRESENTS EITHER AN ADDITIONAL RECEPTACLE OR A TUBE OR AN APERTURE.

Claims (8)

1. A LINER SHAPED TO FIT WITHIN A RECEPTACLE, SAID LINER HAVING A LIP WHICH CAN REST UPON THE REBATED EDGE OF SAID RECEPTACLE SAID REBATED EDGE BEING SO SHAPED AND DIMENSIONED THAT WHEN SAID LINER IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN SAID LIP RESTS UPON SAID REBATED EDGE SO THAT SAID LINER ASSUMES THE FUNCTION OF A LID.

2. RECEPTACLE As CLAIMED IN CLAIM 1 WHICH FORMS AN INTEGRAL OR A REMOVABLE PART OF A LARDER DISH, BOWL OR CONTAINER CONSISTING OF OR SUPPORTING MORE THAN ONE RECEPTACLE.

3. A RECEPTACLE AS CLAIMED IN CLAIMS 1 AND 2 WHERE SAID REBATED EDGE IS SUFFICIENTLY DEEP TO ACCOMMODATE SIMULTANEOUSLY BOTH THE LIP OF SAID LINER AND THE LIP OF SAID LID.

4. A RECEPTACLE AS CLAIMED IN ANY PREVIOUS CLAIM WHERE THE UPRIGHT SIDE OF SAID REBATED EDGE CAN BE EITHER VERTICAL OR ANGLED OR SHAPED.

5. A RECEPTACLE AS CLAIMED IN ANY PREVIOUS CLAIM WHERE ALL OR PART OF THE WIDTH OF SAID REBATED EDGE CAN BE WIDER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE LIP OF SAID LINER.

6. A LINER AND A RECEPTACLE SUBSTANTIALLY AS DESCRIBED HEREINABOVE WITH REFERENCE TO ANY OF THE FIGURES 1, 2 AND g OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS.

7. A CONTAINER ARRANGEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY AS DESCRIBED HEREINABOVE WITH REFERENCE TO FIGURE s OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS COMPRISING ONE OR MORE RECEPTACLES AND LINERS AS DESCRIBED IN ANY OF THE PREVIOUS CLAIMS.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A TRAY HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE FOR MOUNTING THE TRAY ON A SUPPORTING POLE, THE TRAY HAVING DEPRESSIONS DISTRIBUTED AROUND ITS CENTRAL APERTURE, THE DEPRESSIONS HAVING REBATED EDGES AND RESPECTIVE REMOVABLE LINERS BEING ACCOMMODATED IN THE DEPRESSIONS, THE LINERS HAVING LIPPED EDGES WHICH ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE REBATED EDGES AND THE REBATED EDGES BEING SO SHAPED AND DIMENSIONED THAT THE REBATES CAN RECEIVE AND LOCATE THE LIP OF AN UPSIDE-DOWN LINER ACTING AS A LID RESTING ON THE LIP OF AN UPRIGHT LINER ACCOMMODATED IN A DEPRESSION.

2. A TRAY AS CLAIMED IN CLAIM 1 WHICH HAS AN UPSIDE-DOWN LINER ACTING AS A LID SUPPORTED ON AN UPRIGHT LINER IN A SAID DEPRESSION.

3.. A TRAY AS CLAIMED IN CLAIM 1 OR 2 WHEREIN SAID LINERS ARE SUPPORTED BY THEIR LIPPED EDGES RESTING ON SAID REBATED EDGES.

4. A TRAY AS CLAIMED IN CLAIM 1 OR CLAIM 2 WHEREIN THE REBATED EDGES HAVE A NON-VERTICAL UPRIGHT WALL WHICH SHAPED OR ANGLED TO KEEP AN INVERTED LINER ACTING AS A LID SECURELY IN POSITION.

5. A TRAY AS CLAIMED IN ANY PRECEDING CLAIM WHEREIN THERE IS A GAP BETWEEN THE SIDE WALL OF A REBATED EDGE AND THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE LIP OF THE CORRESPONDING LINER.

6. A TRAY AS CLAIMED IN ANY PRECEDING CLAIM WHICH IS COMPOSED OF PLASTICS MATERIAL.

7. A TRAY AS CLAIMED IN ANY OF CLAIMS 1 TO 5 WHICH IS COMPOSED OF TERRACOTTA OR EATHENWARE.

8. A TRAY SUITABLE FOR POLE-MOUNTING, SUBSTANTIALLY AS DESCRIBED HEREINABOVE WITH REFERENCE TO FIGURES 1 TO 3 OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS.