GB2484119A

GB2484119A - Colour coded container system for frozen food

Info

Publication number: GB2484119A
Application number: GB1016443.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jean Joyce Gadsden
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-09-30
Filing date: 2010-09-30
Publication date: 2012-04-04
Also published as: GB201016443D0

Abstract

A frozen-food container system comprises food containers in twelve different distinguishing colours, or which can be coloured in twelve different distinguishing colours, and a colour-code guide 12, which associates each of the twelve different distinguishing colours with a respective one of the twelve calendar months 201-212 of the year. The colour-code guide 12 is mountable in, on or adjacent a freezer. The colour-code guide may be mountable by a clip 16. By placing items of food in the freezer in containers coloured according to the use-by month of each item of food, the use-by month of each item of food in the freezer is, with reference to the colour-code guide if need be, readily apparent. The containers may be bags (fig 8, 403) or lidded trays 10. In the case of bags (fig 8, 403), the bags (fig 8, 403) may be provided with a coloured closure tie. A method of using the system is also described.

Description

TITLE

Container system for frozen food

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to a frozen-food container system, a combination of a food freezer and the container system, and a method of storing frozen food using the container system.

Food is sometimes purchased ready-frozen and is supplied in a container, such as a bag or box, which is suitable for being placed directly in the purchaser's freezer. Nowadays, the packaging of such ready-frozen food is usually marked with a "best-before" or "use-by" date.

Commonly, such markings are in small print on some part or another of the packaging. Other food, such as food grown at home or purchased "fresh", is frozen at the place where the food will eventually be used, and in this case the food is usually placed in a suitable container before being placed in the freezer. In this case, it is desirable to mark the container with the date of freezing, or more preferably the date by which the food should be used.

If frozen food is not used before its use-by date, then it can degrade and be unpleasant to eat and/or cause illness. However, with many items of food in a freezer with various use-by dates, sometimes an item of food is unintentionally left in the freezer until after its use-by date.

When that is discovered, there is then a choice either of disposing of the food as waste or of using it and taking a chance that it has not gone bad.

An aim of the present invention, or at least of specific embodiments of it, is to reduce the risk of food being left in a freezer until after its use-by date.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a frozen-food container system, comprising: means colouring, or for colouring, with a respective one of twelve different distinguishing colours each of at least twelve storage containers containing, or for containing, food which is, or is to be, frozen; a colour-code guide which associates each of said twelve different distinguishing colours with a respective one of the twelve calendar months of the year; and means for mounting the colour-code guide in, on or adjacent a freezer.

Therefore, when the container system is used as intended, a month associated with each item of food in the freezer is, with reference to the colour-code guide if need be, readily apparent. The month (and therefore the colour) associated with each item of food may be the use-by month of that item of food or the month in which the item of food was placed in the freezer.

The system may include the storage containers, in which case the colouring means may colour at least an externally-visible portion of each container.

At least one of the storage containers may comprise a box and a lid. In this case, at least a portion of the lid may be coloured in the respective distinguishing colour. For example, the lid may be moulded from plastics material in the respective distinguishing colour. The system may include at least twelve such boxes which are identical, but which can be fitted with different coloured lids. The boxes of such containers usually take up more storage space than the lids.

Therefore, colour-coding the lids results in less storage space being required than if the boxes, or the boxes and the lids, were colour-coded.

Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the storage containers may comprise a bag.

In this case, the bag may be formed from plastics material in the respective distinguishing colour.

In addition to, or as an alternative to, at least some of the containers being supplied ready-coloured, the system may further include at least twelve devices for attachment to such containers, the colouring means colouring at least a portion of each device. For example, at least one of the devices may comprise a coloured adhesive label. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the devices may comprise a coloured clip for attachment to such a storage container which is in the form of a box and lid. In this case, the system may include at least twelve such boxes which are identical and at least twelve such lids which are identical.

Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the devices may comprise a coloured bag closure tie. In this case, the system may include at least twelve such containers which are in the form of bags and which are identical. The bags may be supplied on a roll in a package, with the package also containing at least twelve such bag closure ties in said twelve distinguishing colours.

Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the devices may comprise a coloured bag closure clip.

The colour-code guide preferably comprises a panel which is marked with the name, a name abbreviation or the number of each calendar month and which associates each such name, abbreviation or number with the respective distinguishing colour. The mounting means may comprise a clip attached to the panel.

It should be noted that if the frozen food has a use-by date more than eleven months into the future, the container system of the invention might cause confusion as to the use-by year of the food. However, frozen food rarely has a use-by date that far into the future.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of storing food using a frozen-food container system of the type described above with ready-coloured containers. The method comprises the steps of: a) mounting the colour-code guide in, on or adjacent a freezer; b) determining the calendar month of a date associated with an item of food (such as a use-by month for the food, or the month in which the food is being placed in the freezer); c) selecting, with reference to the colour-code guide, the distinguishing colour associated with the determined month; d) selecting such a container coloured with the selected colour; e) placing the item of food in the selected container; and f) placing that container in the freezer.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of storing food using a frozen-food container system of the type described above with attachment devices.

The method comprises the steps of: a) mounting the colour-code guide in, on or adjacent a freezer; b) determining the calendar month of a date associated with an item of food (such as a use-by month for the food, or the month in which the food is being placed in the freezer); c) selecting, with reference to the colour-code guide, the distinguishing colour associated with the determined month; d) selecting such a device coloured with the selected colour; e) attaching the selected device to a container; and f) placing that container, containing the item of food, in the freezer.

With either method, steps "b" to "f" are typically repeated for further items of food, and the method further includes the step of choosing, as between at least tsvo containers in the freezer, which container to remove from the freezer in dependence upon the colours of the containers with reference to the colour-code guide.

In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a freezer in combination with a frozen-food container system of the first aspect of the invention, wherein: the freezer contains at least one of the containers coloured with a respective one of the distinguishing colours and containing an item of food having a date associated therewith; the colour-code guide is mounted in, on or adjacent the freezer; and the association between the distinguishing colour with which the, or each, container in the freezer is coloured and the calendar month of the date of the item of food in that container is as given by the colour-code guide.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a stack of food box bases; Figure 2 is an isometric view of a stack of food box lids; Figures 3A&B are isometric views of a colour-code guide; Figure 4 is an isometric view of a freezer fitted with the colour-code guide of Figures 3A&B; Figure 5 is an isometric view showing an item of food being placed in a food box comprising a base of Figure 1 and a lid of Figure 2; Figure 6 is an isometric view of the food box of Figure 5 when closed; Figure 7 is an isometric view of a set of rolls of food bags; Figure 8 is an isometric view of one of the rolls of food bags of Figure 7, partly unrolled; and Figure 9 is an isometric view of a food bag removed from the roll of Figure 8.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a container system of a first embodiment of the invention comprises a number of food box bases 10 (which are shown stacked in Figure 1), at least twelve food box lids 1XY (thirty-six of which are shown stacked in Figure 2) and a colour-code guide 12 (as shown in Figures 3A & B). In this description, "XY" in a reference numeral denotes a number between 01 and 12.

The colour-code guide 12 (Figure 3A&B) comprises a panel 14 of plastics material having a clip 16 projecting from its rear face so that the colour-code guide 12 can be clipped to a food basket 18 in a freezer 20 (as shown in Figure 4), with the front face of the colour-code guide 12 exposed. The front face of the colour-code guide 12 has twelve areas 2XY which are coloured in different colours and are marked with abbreviations of respective calendar months of the year. For example, area 201 is coloured white and is marked with the abbreviation "JAN" meaning January; area 202 is coloured red and is marked with the abbreviation "FEB" meaning February; area 203 is coloured dark-green and is marked with the abbreviation "MAR" meaning March; area 204 is coloured dark-blue and is marked with the abbreviation "APR" meaning April; area 205 is coloured yellow and is marked with the abbreviation "MAY" meaning May; area 206 is coloured cyan and is marked with the abbreviation "JUN" meaning June; area 207 is coloured magenta and is marked with the abbreviation "JUL" meaning July; area 208 is coloured pink and is marked with the abbreviation "AUG" meaning August; area 209 is coloured light-green and is marked with the abbreviation "SEP" meaning September; area 210 is coloured light-blue and is marked with the abbreviation "OCT" meaning October; area 211 is coloured orange and is marked with the abbreviation "NOY" meaning November; and area 212 is coloured brown and is marked with the abbreviation "DEC" meaning December.

Each food box base 10 is moulded from plastics material and has a bottom 22 and four sides 24 with a sealing edge 26 at the top of the sides 24. The food box bases 10 are identical.

Each food box lid 1XY is moulded from plastics material and has a panel 28 with a sealing edge 30 which can engage with and seal to the sealing edge 26 of any of the bases 10 in a conventional manner. The lids 1XY are identical except that they are each moulded in one of twelve different colours of plastics material matching the colours of the areas 2XY on the colour-code guide 12. Specifically, food box lids 101 are moulded in white plastics material; food box lids 102 are moulded in red plastics material; food box lids 103 are moulded in dark-green plastics material; food box lids 104 are moulded in dark-blue plastics material; food box lids 105 are moulded in yellow plastics material; food box lids 106 are moulded in cyan plastics material; food box lids 107 are moulded in magenta plastics material; food box lids 108 are moulded in pink plastics material; food box lids 109 are moulded in light-green plastics material; food box lids 110 are moulded in light-blue plastics material; food box lids 111 are moulded in orange plastics material; and food box lids 112 are moulded in brown plastics material.

Referring to Figures 4 to 6, when an item of food 32 is to be placed in the freezer 20, the person handling the food 32 determines the calendar month by which the food 32 should be used. For example, if the food has been purchased ready-frozen and its packaging is marked with a use-by date, the person can simply refer to that date. In other cases, the person can decide how long the food can be kept in the freezer and work out the use-by month from that.

The person might, for example, decide that food should not be kept in the freezer for more than four months. In the event that the determined use-by month is, for example, November, the person then refers to the colour-code guide 12 to determine the colour for that calendar month, i.e. orange for November. The person then selects one of the food box lids 1XY which has that colour, i.e. a food box lid 111 coloured orange. Referring to Figure 5, the person then places the item of food 32 in one of the food box bases 10, and then closes the base 10 with the selected lid 111 to form a sealed container 34, as shown in Figure 6, containing the item of food 32. The person then places the container 34 in one of the baskets 18 in the freezer 20.

Over time, further items of food are added to the freezer 20 in further containers 34 having colour-coded lids 1XY indicating, in combination with the colour-code guide 12, the "use by" months of the items of food in the containers 34. When the time comes to retrieve an item of food from the freezer 20, the person can then select a container with reference to the colour of its lid 1XY. For example, if the current month is August, the person can see from the colour-code guide 12 that the colour for August is pink, and can therefore select a container 34 having a pink lid 108 if one is present in the freezer 20. If not, then the person can select the colour for the nearest preceding month that does have a lid 1XY of that colour in the freezer 20.

Referring to Figures 3A & B and 7 to 9, a container system of a second embodiment of the invention comprises the colour code guide 12 as previously described, together with a set of twelve rolls 3XY of plastics bags 4XY.

As is conventional, the bags 4XY in each roll 3XY are formed by a flattened sleeve of plastics material which, at spaced locations along its length, is formed with perforation lines 36 across its width. Immediately to one side of each perforation line 36, the sleeve is welded across its width along a weld line 38. Immediately to the opposite side of each perforation line 36, the sleeve is formed with snap-close self-seal channels 40. A bag 4XY can therefore be torn from the end of the roll 3XY along the perforation line 36, with the weld line 38 forming a sealed bottom 42 of the bag 4XY and with the channels 40 enabling the mouth 44 of the bag to be opened and to be sealed closed.

The rolls 3XY of bags 4XY are formed from plastics material in twelve different colours corresponding to the twelve different colours of the areas 2XY on the colour code guide 12. Specifically, roll 301 is moulded in white plastics material; roll 302 is moulded in red plastics material; roll 303 is moulded in dark-green plastics material; roll 304 is moulded in dark-blue plastics material; roll 305 is moulded in yellow plastics material; roll 306 is moulded in cyan plastics material; roll 307 is moulded in magenta plastics material; roll 308 is moulded in pink plastics material; roll 309 is moulded in light-green plastics material; roll 310 is moulded in light-blue plastics material; roll 311 is moulded in orange plastics material; and roll 312 is moulded in brown plastics material. The plastics material is transparent so that the contents of the bags 4XY can been seen from the outside. Each bag 4XY is formed with an opaque area 46, for example white in colour, which can be marked with a pen.

When an item of food 32 is to be placed in the freezer 20, the person handling the food 32 determines (as described above) the calendar month by which the food 32 should be used, for example March. The person then refers to the colour-code guide 12 to determine the colour for that calendar month, i.e. dark-green for March. The person then selects the roll 3XY of freezer bags which has that colour, i.e. the roll 303 coloured dark-green, and tears off a dark-green bag 403 from the end of the roll 303. If desired, the person may write on the opaque area 46 of the bag 403, for example a description of the item of food. The person then places the item of food in that bag 403 and places the bag 403 containing the food in the freezer 20.

Over time, further items of food are added to the freezer 20 in further colour-coded bags 4XY indicating, in combination with the colour-code guide 12, the "use by" months of the items of food in the bags 4XY. When the time comes to retrieve an item of food from the freezer 20, the person can then select a bag 4XY with reference to its colour. For example, if the current month is December, the person can see from the colour-code guide 12 that the colour for December is brown, and can therefore select a brown bag 412 if one is present in the freezer 20. If not, then the person can select the colour for the nearest preceding month that does have a bag 4XY of that colour in the freezer 20.

It will be appreciated that many modifications and developments may be made to the embodiments of the invention described above.

For example, in a third embodiment, the container system comprises: a colour-code guide 12 as described above; a number of food box bases 10 as described above; a number of food box lids similar to the lids 1XY described above except that they are identical and not differently coloured; and at least twelve plastics clips each moulded in one of the twelve different colours. The clips are such that they can be clipped onto the food boxes 34 so as to colour code them. The clips may also act to lock the lids to the bases 10.

In a fourth embodiment, the container system comprises: a colour-code guide 12 as described above; a number of food box bases 10 as described above; a number of food box lids similar to the lids 1XY described above except that they are identical and not differently coloured; and one or more sheets of sticky-backed labels in the twelve different colours which can be stuck onto the food boxes 34 so as to colour code them.

In a fifth embodiment, the container system comprises: a colour-code guide 12 as described above; one or more rolls of plastics bags similar to the rolls 3XY described above except that they are the same colour or clear; and one or more sheets of sticky-backed labels in the twelve different colours which can be stuck onto the bags so as to colour code them.

In a sixth embodiment, the container system comprises: a colour-code guide 12 as described above; one or more rolls of plastics bags similar to the rolls 3XY described above except that they are the same colour or clear and need not have the self-seal channels 40; and a set of bag closure ties or clips in the twelve different colours which can be used not only to close the mouths 44 of the bags but also to colour code them.

In the fifth and sixth embodiments, the plastics bags and labels or bag closure ties or clips may be supplied in a single package such as a cardboard box.

In the second, fifth or sixth embodiments, the plastics bags may be supplied already separated, rather than on a roll, and may be packaged in a pouch.

The colour-code guide 12 may be arranged to be mounted in, on or adjacent the freezer in alternative ways. For example, the colour-code guide may be in the form of a sticky-backed sheet which can be stuck to the inside or outside of the freezer, or a fridge magnet, or simply a printed sheet with fixing material such as Blu Tack®.

It will be appreciated that the container systems may include food boxes 34 or bags 4XY of different sizes and that a single container system may include both boxes 34 and bags 4XY using the same colour-coding system.

It should be noted that the embodiments of the invention may be used in a different way to that described above. For example, instead of the colour that is chosen for each item of food being related to the use-by month of that item of food, it may instead be related to the current calendar month at the time when the item of food is placed in the freezer. The person can then subsequently chose which item of food to remove from the freezer depending on how long they are prepared to allow food to remain in the freezer. For example, if they decide that food should not be kept in the freezer for more than four months, and if the current month is September, then food which was placed in the freezer in May (coloured yellow) is possibly out of date and should preferably have been used already. Food which was placed in the freezer in October, November, December, January, February, March or April (coloured light-blue, orange, brown, white, red, dark-green or dark-blue) is certainly out of date and should have been used already. However, food which was placed in the freezer in June, July, August or September (coloured cyan, magenta, pink or light-green) is in date, and the priority order of using the food should be cyan (June), then magenta (July), then pink (August) and lastly light-green (September).

The container systems described above and their methods of use may be used in the home and also in industry, for example the catering industry.

It should be noted that the embodiments of the invention have been described above purely by way of example and that many other modifications and developments may be made thereto within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

-10 -CLAIMS1. A frozen-food container system, comprising: means colouring, or for colouring, with a respective one of twelve different distinguishing colours each of at least twelve storage containers containing, or for containing, food which is, or is to be, frozen; a colour-code guide which associates each of said twelve different distinguishing colours with a respective one of the twelve calendar months of the year; and means for mounting the colour-code guide in, on or adjacent a freezer.
2. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the system includes at least twelve such containers; and the colouring means colours at least an externally-visible portion of each container.
3. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 2, wherein: at least one of the storage containers comprises a box and a lid.
4. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 3, wherein: at least a portion of the lid is coloured in the respective distinguishing colour.
5. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 4, wherein: the lid is moulded from plastics material in the respective distinguishing colour.
6. A frozen-food container system as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein: the system includes at least twelve such boxes which are identical.
7. A frozen-food container system as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, wherein: at least one of the storage containers comprises a bag.

-11 -
8. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the bag is formed from plastics material in the respective distinguishing colour.
9. A frozen-food container system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the system further includes at least twelve devices for attachment to such containers; and the colouring means colours at least a portion of each device.
10. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 9, wherein: at least one of the devices comprises a coloured adhesive label.
11. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein: at least one of the devices comprises a coloured clip for attachment to such a storage container which is in the form of a box and lid.
12. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 11, wherein: the system includes at least twelve such boxes which are identical and at least twelve such lids which are identical.
13. A frozen-food container system as claimed in any of claims 9 to 12, wherein: at least one of the devices comprises a coloured bag closure tie.
14. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 13, wherein: the system includes at least twelve such containers which are in the form of bags and which are identical.
15. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 14, wherein: the bags are supplied on a roll; the roll is supplied in a package; and -12 -the package also contains at least twelve such bag closure ties in said twelve distinguishing colours.
16. A frozen-food container system as claimed in any of claims 9 to 15, wherein: at least one of the devices comprises a coloured bag closure clip.
17. A frozen-food container system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the colour-code guide comprises a panel which is marked with the name, a name abbreviation or the number of each calendar month and which associates each such name, abbreviation or number with the respective distinguishing colour.
18. A frozen-food container system as claimed in claim 17, wherein: the mounting means comprises a clip attached to the panel.
19. A frozen-food container system substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
20. A method of storing food using a frozen-food container system as claimed in any of claims 2 to 8, or any of claims 9 to 18 when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 2, the method comprising the steps of: a) mounting the colour-code guide in, on or adjacent a freezer; b) determining the calendar month of a date associated with an item of food; c) selecting, with reference to the colour-code guide, the distinguishing colour associated with the determined month; d) selecting such a container coloured with the selected colour; e) placing the food in the selected container; and I) placing that container in the freezer.
21. A method of storing food using a frozen-food container system as claimed in any of claims 9 to 16, or claim 17 or 18 when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 9, the method comprising the steps of: -13 -a) mounting the colour-code guide in, on or adjacent a freezer; b) determining the calendar month of a date associated with an item of food; c) selecting, with reference to the colour-code guide, the distinguishing colour associated with the determined month; d) selecting such a device coloured with the selected colour; e) attaching the selected device to a container; and f) placing that container, containing the item of food, in the freezer.
22. A method as claimed in claim 20 or 21, wherein: steps "b" to "f" are repeated for further items of food.
23. A method as claimed in claim 22, further including the step of: choosing, as between at least two containers in the freezer, which container to remove from the freezer in dependence upon the colours of the containers with reference to the colour-code guide.
24. A method of storing food system substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
25. A freezer in combination with a frozen-food container system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 19, wherein: the freezer contains at least one of the containers coloured with a respective one of the distinguishing colours and containing an item of food having a date associated therewith; the colour-code guide is mounted in, on or adjacent the freezer; and the association between the distinguishing colour with which the, or each, container in the freezer is coloured and the calendar month of the date of the item of food in that container is as given by the colour-code guide.
26. A freezer in combination with a frozen-food container system, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.