GB2484427A

GB2484427A - Food container with partition

Info

Publication number: GB2484427A
Application number: GB1122311.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Glen Johnston
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-04-23
Filing date: 2008-04-23
Publication date: 2012-04-11
Anticipated expiration: 2028-04-23
Also published as: GB0807397D0; GB2484427B; GB201122311D0; GB2448817A; GB2448817B; GB0707764D0

Abstract

AÂ receptacle is provided for holding two types of consumables namely an edible and a drinkable. The receptacle is a pot 10 having a partition 12, 12A therein to form two chambers 14, 16 with the partition 12, 12A forming a common wall. Means to interfere with the integrity of said common wall are provided to cause communication between said two chambers 14, 16 whereby a drinkable provided in one chamber is allowed to flow into the edibles in the other chamber. The partition 12, 12A including an aperture 26 and the means to interfere including a closure 28 which extends upwardly to an open top of the container, where it terminates in a ring pull or tab 42. The partition may extend from the top to the bottom of the receptacle 10 to provide a major and minor chamber 14, 16. An aperture 26 may be provided near to the bottom of the partition with a flexible closure 28 secured thereover. The closure 28 may extend upwardly where it terminates in a ring pull 30.

Description

A RECEPTACLE FOR HOLDING CONSUMABLES

This invention relates to a receptacle for holding two types of consumables, namely edibles, for example breakfast cereals, granola or muesli, and drinkables, for example milk, cream, custard or juice. The receptacle may also be suitable for micro-wave heating to heat consumable contents such as porridge and milk prior to use.

The use of convenience portion packed consumables are an increasing part of everyday life and suitable packaging for such consumables is continually being sought, particularly a receptacle for holding two types of consumables which are capable of being separately held in the receptacle ready to be combined for consumption and where access to the consumables are through the use of a single cover sealed over the mouth of the receptacle.

An object of the present invention is to provide such a receptacle.

Accordingly, the present invention is a receptacle for holding two types of consumables, the receptacle being a pot having a partition therein to form two chambers with a common wall, means to interfere with the integrity of said common wall to cause communication between said two chambers whereby a drinkable provided in one chamber is allowed to flow into the edibles in the other chamber, wherein the closure ideally extends upwardly to the open top whereat it terminates in a tab or ring pull whereby upward movement of the tab or ring pull tears the closure from its sealing to open the aperture, the closure extension and tab or ring pull from the means to interfere.

Preferably, the pot has a cylindrical or frusto-conical outer wall with an open top and a closed bottom.

Preferably also, the partition is segmental of the pot extending from top to bottom to provide a major chamber and a minor chamber within the pot. A false secondary bottom is beneficially provided sloped downwardly from the outer wall towards the bottom of the partition. The portion of the bottom of the pot below the secondary bottom may be omitted.

The partition desirably is provided with an aperture near to its junction with the secondary bottom, said aperture being liguidtightly sealed by a flexible closure to one side of the partition. Alternatively, a lever is preferably provided pivoted to the partition adjacent to the aperture and extending downwardly over the aperture and upwardly to the open top, the downward extension carrying a pointed formation aligned with the aperture whereby if the top of the lever is pivoted into the major chamber, the pointed formation is moved to puncture the closure. The closure may be part of a seated flexible skin bag located in the minor chamber. The lever and pointed formation form the means to interfere.

In an alternative embodiment, the top of the partition is segmental of the open top of the pot and slopes to join the outer wall. Again, an aperture is desirably provided near to the bottom of the partition and has a flexible closure liguidtightly secured thereover. The closure desirably extends upwardly to the open top whereat it terminates in a ring pull.

The closure extension and ring pull form the means to interfere.

Alternatively, the bottom of the closure is ideally secured to the bottom of a slide tracking rails provided on one face of the partition. The top of the slide beneficially has a turn over tab, upward movement of which causes the closure to be removed from the aperture. The slide forms the means to interfere. Further alternatively, the bottom of the slide has an outward curve relative to the partition and has a pointed formation, the bottom of the slide bearing against a stationary rod positioned therebehind and which, on downward movement of the slide, causes the bottom end of the curved portion to move inwards with consequential puncturing and vertical slitting of the closure. The slide and pointed formation form the means to interfere. The slide may be replaced by a spindle journalled in bearings extending out from the partition, the spindle having a radial pointed formation, rotation of the closure to be punctured and slit horizontally. The spindle and pointed formation form the means to interfere.

In a further alternative embodiment, the partition is substantially horizontal and liquidtightly secured to the wall of the pot, the partition having a weakened annular zone or tear line around the partition at its securement, the zone or tear line having a tag terminating thereabove. The pull tag preferably is temporarily secured to the inside of the wall of the pot.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. I is a top perspective view of a receptacle according to one embodiment of the present invention with part of a side wall of the receptacle being cut-away; Fig. 2 is a top perspective view of a receptacle according to a second embodiment of the present invention with part of a side wall of the receptacle being cut-away; Fig. 3 is a top perspective view of a receptacle according to a third embodiment of the present invention with part of a side wall of the receptacle being cut-away with details of means to interfere being shown with a closure at (a) and open at (b) and with alternative means being shown at (c) and (d); Fig. 4 is a top perspective view of a receptacle according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention with part of a side wall of the receptacle being cut-away and a slide shown in a closed position, an open position of the side being shown at (a); Fig. 5 is a top perspective view of a receptacle according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention with part of a side wall of the receptacle being cut away with two enlarged views being shown of a piercing element in an out-of-use position (a) and an in-use position (b); Fig. 6 is a top perspective view of a receptacle according to a sixth embodiment with part of a side wall of the receptacle being cut-away for clarity to show a pull tag and weakened annular zone or tear line in a second position; Fig. 7 is a top perspective view of the receptacle shown in Fig. 6 but with the pull tag partially lifted and the weakened annular zone or tear line partially separated from the wall of the receptacle; Fig. 8 is a top perspective view of the receptacle shown in Figs. 6 and 7 but with the pull tag wholly lifted and the weakened zone or tear line completely separated from the wall of the receptacle, the view also showing the outline of edibles located in the upper chamber of the receptacle; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a lower chamber of the receptacle showing the use of a spoon to sink a disc of the partition remaining after removal of the pull tag and weakened zone or tear line when a drinkable is located in the lower chamber; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the receptacle shown in Fig. 6 but showing a second version of weakened zone or tear line; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the receptacle shown in Fig. 10 with the pull tag partially lifted and a weakened zone or tear line partially separated from the wall of the receptacle, the outline of edibles being shown in the upper chamber of the receptacle; and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the receptacle shown in Figs. 10 and 11 with the ring pull, the weakened strip zone or tear line and remaining disc of the partition completely separated from the wall of the receptacle, the outline of edibles being shown in the upper chamber of the receptacle.

Referring to all of the drawings, a receptacle is provided for holding two types of consumables. The receptacle is a pot 10 having a partition 12 therein to form two chambers 14, 16 with a common wall i.e. the partition 12, 12A. Means to interfere with the integrity of said partition 12, 12A is provided to cause communication between said two chambers 14, 16 whereby a drinkable provided in one chamber 16 is allowed to flow into the edibles in the other chamber 14.

The pot 10 has a cylindrical orfrusto-conical outer wall 18 with an open top 20 with a flange rim 21 and a closed bottom 22. The top of the partition 12 is also provided with a rim flange 23 at same level as the flange 21. After the chambers 14, 16 of a pot 10 are filled with an edible and a drinkable respectively as required, the pot has a foil top (not shown) sealed thereover to the flanges 21, 23 to keep the contents separately contained in their respective chambers.

In a first embodiment as shown in Fig 1, the partition 12 is segmental of the pot 10 extending from top 20 to bottom 22 to provide a major chamber 14 to hold edibles and a minor chamber 16 to hold drinkables within the pot 10. A false secondary bottom 24 is provided sloped downwardly from the outer wall 18 towards the bottom of the partition 12.

The portion of the bottom of the pot 10 below the secondary bottom may be omitted, if required, for ease in moulding the pot 10 out of plastics material. The partition 12 is provided with an aperture 26 near to its junction with the secondary bottom 24, said aperture 26 being liguidtightly sealed by a flexible closure 28 to one side of the partition 12. The closure 28 is extended upwardly to the open top 20 whereat it terminates in a tab or ring pull 30 whereby upward movement of the tab or ring pull 30 tears the closure 28 from its sealing to open the aperture 26. The extension of the closure 28 and tab or ring pull 30 forms the means to interfere.

In a second embodiment as shown in Fig. 2 in which like parts are denoted by like numerals, a lever 32 is provided pivoted at 34 to the partition 12 adjacent to the aperture 26 and extending downwardly over the aperture 26 and upwardly to the open top 20. The downward extension carries a pointed formation 36 aligned with the aperture 26 whereby if the top of the lever 32 is pivoted into the major chamber 14, the pointed formation 36 is moved to puncture the closure 28. The closure 28 may be part of a sealed flexible skin bag 38 located in the minor chamber 16. The lever 32 and pointed formation 36 form the means to interfere.

In a third embodiment as shown in Fig. 3 in which like parts are denoted by like numerals, the top of the partition 12 is segmental of the open top 20 of the pot 10 and slopes downwardly to join the outer wall 18. Again, the aperture is provided near to the bottom of the partition 12 and has the flexible closure 28 liguidtightly secured thereover.

The closure 28 is extended upwardly to the open top 20 whereat it terminates in a ring pull 30. The extension of the closure 28 and ring pull 30 form the means to interfere.

In a fourth embodiment as shown in Fig. 4 in which like parts are denoted by like numerals, the bottom of the closure 28 is secured to the bottom of a slide 38 tracking rails provided on one face of the partition 12. The top of the slide 38 has a turn over tab 42, upward movement of which causes the closure 28 to be removed from the aperture 26.

The slide 38 forms the means to interfere.

In a fifth embodiment as shown in Fig. 5 in which like parts are denoted by like numerals, the bottom of the slide 38 has an outward curve 44 relative to the partition 12 and has a pointed formation 36. The bottom of the slide 38 bears against a stationary rod 46 positioned therebehind and which, on downward movement of the slide 38, causes the bottom end of the curved portion 44 to move inwards with consequential puncturing and vertical slitting of the closure 28. The slide 38 and pointed formation 36 form the means to interfere.

The slide 38 in the fourth and fifth embodiments or the extension to the closure 28 in the first or third embodiments or the lever 32 in the second embodiment may be replaced by a spindle 48 journalled in bearings 50 extending out from the partition 12. The spindle 48 has a pointed formation 36 radially thereof, rotation of the spindle 48 causing the closure 28 to be punctured and slit horizontally. The spindle 48 and pointed formation 36 form the means to interfere.

In a sixth embodiment as shown in Figs. 6 to 9 in which like parts are denoted by like numerals, the partition 12A is horizontal of the receptacle and has a weakened annular zone or tear line 54 around the partition at its securement to the inside face of the wall 18 of the pot 10. The weakened annular zone or tear line 54 has a pull tag 56 as shown. After the pull tag 56 and zone or tear line 54 have been removed, a disc 58 is left which lies on top of the drinkable and is pushed down as shown in Fig. 10 by a spoon 60 to allow the drinkable to be mixed with the edible. The pull tag 56 and zone or tear line 54 forms the means to interfere.

In a seventh embodiment as shown in Figs. 10 to 12 in which like parts are denoted by like numerals, the partition 12A is also horizontal of the receptacle but the weakened zone or tear line is a strip 62 peripherally around the disc 58 as shown and is removed in the manner indicated in Figs. 11 and 12. The pull tag 56 and strip 62 form the means to interfere.

In a modification of this last embodiment (not shown), the weakened strip zone or tear line may be arranged helically with the pull tag 56 commencing in the centre of the partition 12A and tearing helically until the final lap of the strip is removed from the inside wall of the pot. The pull tag 56 and helical strip zone or tear line form the means to interfere.

In the sixth and seventh embodiments, the location of the consumables can be interchanged between the lower and upper chambers.

In use, pots filled with consumables are stored under required conditions and consumed as required by pealing the foil top wholly or partially off and operating the means to interfere so that a drinkable in the minor chamber flows into the edible in the major chamber. An advantage of the invention as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is that all the packaging of the receptacle can be disposed off as one piece. If the foil top is wholly removed, it can be inserted into the pot when empty, as can the cylindrical partition 12 and the horizontal partition 12A.

The receptacle can be of any shape such as of a yoghurt style pot or shaped to fit, in the form of a liner, into a conventional ceramic cereal bowl.

In a modification of the first or third embodiments, the means to interfere is the partition being provided with weakened lines of liquid-proofed perforations substantially adjacent to the outer wall and the bottom of the pot with a pull element secured along the bottom of the removable partition and terminating in a pull tab at the open top of the receptacle, the removable portion being wholly or partially removed to allow communication between the chambers. In this modification, no aperture requires to be provided.

In a second modification, the receptacle is formed in two parts secured together by adhesive or sealing to provide a vertical joint. The one part is a container for holding a liquid and having a wall to serve as the common wall. The one part having a sealed top and the top of the outer wall of the other part defining an open top and being flanged. A foil top is secured to said flange over said open top and to the top of the common wall.

The common wall can be interfered with by means above described and as disclosed in any one of the above described embodiments.

Variations and other modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention described above and as claimed hereinafter.