GB2331060A

GB2331060A - Food container cover incorporating a two-part eating utensil

Info

Publication number: GB2331060A
Application number: GB9723636A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shou-Li Huang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-11-07
Filing date: 1997-11-07
Publication date: 1999-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 2017-11-07
Also published as: GB2331060B; GB9723636D0

Abstract

A cover 1 for a food container (2), such as a can or cup, has a face panel 11 incorporating a handle part 15 and a body part 14 of an eating utensil. It is injection moulded from plastic material in one piece. The utensil parts 14 and 15 are defined by the line of weakness indicated by channels, or indents, 12, 13 in lid 1 and are retained in 1 by frangible connecting flanges 121, 131. Breaking said flanges 121, 131 releases utensil parts 14 and 15 which are assembled together by engaging the transverse coupling notches 143 located at coupling neck 141 of utensil body 14 with the upright coupling flanges 152 located at coupling neck 151 of utensil handle 15.

Description

FOOD CONTAINER COVER WITH RETAINED EATING UTENSIL The present invention relates to covers for food containers, and more particularly to a plastic food container cover incorporating an eating utensil.

A food container may have a disposable eating utensil for example a plastic spoon included on the inside. The eating utensil may be made in integrity, or formed of two separated parts, namely, the utensil body and the utensil handle. Because the attached eating utensil is simply received inside a container cover, certain problems are inevitable. When the container cover is opened from the food container, the eating utensil may be forced by its material resiliency to fall out of the food container to the ground, thereby causing contamination. Because the container cover and the eating utensil are made separately, much plastic material is used, and the manufacturing cost becomes high.

Furthermore, because the eating utensil is put on the inside of the container cover by labour before locating the container cover on the food container, the eating utensil tends to be contaminated by the operator's hands.

Plastic food containers with attached utensil means are seen in various US patents. For example, US Pat. No.

1,607,864 discloses a detachable spoon integral with one side of a disk-like member; US Pat. No. 3,874,554 discloses a cover with a retained straw; US Pat. Nos. 5,197,623 and 5,174,452 disclose an arrangement of separated utensil means in food container means. These designs are not applicable for use in food cans or cups. US Pat. No. 3,624,787 discloses a cup cover with an attached knife or spoon.

However, the attached knife or spoon is not integral with the cup cover. The attached knife or spoon is made separately, and then detachably fastened to a projecting strip inside the cup cover by fastening means. This design cannot eliminate the aforesaid contamination and high-cost problems.

It would be desirable to be able to provide a food container cover with retained eating utensil which eliminates the aforesaid problems.

According to the present invention, the food container cover comprises a face panel injection-molded from plastics.

The face panel has a retained utensil handle and a retained utensil body defined by dented lines and connected thereto by connecting flanges. The retained utensil body and the retained utensil handle can be conveniently detached from the face panel by breaking the connecting flanges, and then fastened to each other to form an eating utensil, for example a spoon. The utensil body has a coupling neck at one end, and a plurality of transverse coupling notches at its coupling neck. The retained utensil handle has a neck at one end, and a plurality of upright coupling flanges raised from its neck and adapted for engaging into the transverse coupling notches on the coupling neck of the retained utensil body.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a food container cover according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the plastic film removed.

Fig. 2 shows the food container cover on a food can according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows the retained utensil body and the retained utensil handle detached from the face panel of the food container cover according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 shows the relationship between the utensil body and the utensil handle according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 shows the utensil body and the utensil handle fastened together according to the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative form of the present invention.

Fig. 7 shows the food container cover on a cup according to the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another alternative form of the present invention.

Referring to Figures from 1 to 3, a food container cover in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is generally comprised of a circular plastic cover 1 fitting over a top open side of a food can 2. The plastic cover 1 comprises a face panel 11, and a plastic film 3 covered over the face panel 11 to prevent a contamination. The plastic film 3 can be made transparent. The face panel 11 is injection-molded from plastics, having dented lines 12;13, a retained utensil body for example a bowl 14 and a retained utensil handle 15 defined by the dented lines 12;13, and connecting flanges 121;131 respectively connected between the retained bowl 14 and retained handle 15 and the face panel 11. Reinforcing ribs may be provided between the face panel 11 and the periphery of the plastic cover 1.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the bowl 14 and the handle 15 can be conveniently detached from the face panel 11 by pressing down the bowl 14 and the handle 14 to break the flanges 121;131 The handle 15 comprises a neck 151 at one end, and a plurality of upright coupling flanges 152 raised from the neck 151. The bowl 14 has a rounded inside 141, a coupling neck 142 at one end, and a plurality of transverse coupling notches 143 at the coupling neck 142. By forcing the upright coupling flanges 152 into engagement with the transverse coupling notches 143, the bowl 14 and the handle 15 are fastened together, thereby forming a spoon.

Figure 6 shows an alternate form of the present invention, in which the utensil body 14a is a fork body.

Figures 7 shows the circular plastic cover 1 covered on a cup 2. Figure 8 shows another alternate form of the present invention, in which the utensil body 14b is a bowl with tines.

Claims

1. A food container cover for covering the open top of a food container, comprising a face panel and a plastic film covering said face panel, said face panel including indents therein in which are housed a retained utensil handle and a retained utensil body connected to the face panel by connecting flanges, the retained utensil body and the retained utensil handle each having a coupling neck at one end thereof, said coupling necks each being provided with cooperating connection means thereon such that, on detachment from said face panel by breaking the connecting flanges, said retained utensil body and said retained utensil handle can be connected to each other to form an eating utensil.

2. The food container cover of claim 1, wherein one of said retained utensil body and said retained utensil handle has a plurality of transverse coupling notches at its coupling neck, and the other of said retained utensil body and said retained utensil handle has a plurality of upright flanges raised from its coupling neck and adapted for engaging into the transverse coupling notches on the coupling neck of the one of said retained utensil body and said retained utensil handle to effect connection therebetween.

3. The food container cover of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said retained utensil handle and said retained utensil body are adapted for connection to each other to form a spoon.

4. The food container cover of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said retained utensil handle and said retained utensil body are adapted for connection to each other to form a fork.

5. A food container cover as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.