GB2494999A

GB2494999A - Container for item containing a foodstuff

Info

Publication number: GB2494999A
Application number: GB201216885A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Zubair Shah
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-09-21
Filing date: 2012-09-21
Publication date: 2013-03-27
Also published as: GB201216885D0; GB201116316D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a container 2 comprising first and second parts 4, 6 which can be brought together to form a cavity 14 for receiving an item. The item may be a can (22, figure 2), preferably containing food (3) such as pet food, and may be in an open condition when placed into the container. The container therefore improves storage conditions of the can and contains any odours emitted from it. Formations may be provided to keep the can in place within the cavity. The formations are preferably shaped and dimensioned to provide a friction fit with the outer walls of the item. Several formations may also be provided for selective use to adapt the cavity to receive an item of particular dimensions. The container may be part of a feeding station such that the food can be dispensed from the container and placed into a bowl.

Description

Container The invention to which this application relates is a container of the type which can be selectively used to receive and at least partially enclose an item therein for a period of time until the said item is again required to be accessed.

The invention is particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, directed towards the provision of a container which can be used to enclose an item which has been opened to gain access to and remove part of the contents therefrom. Yet further, the container is particularly advantageous in combination with an item in the form of a can with a foodstuff in the form of an animal or pet foodstuff and although reference is made hereonin to the use of the container of the invention in relation to such an item this is for ease of illustration and should not be interpreted as a limitation.

The provision of animal foodstuffs is typically in two forms, a dried form in which bags or sacks of the foodstuff are provided or in a "wet" form in which the foodstLlff is provided initially sealed in a can. It is the wet foodstuff to which the application is particularly directed. It is found that in many instances and especially when the food is provided in a can, that the contents of the can are not all used at one time when the can is first opened.

Instead what most commonly happens is that a portion of the food is removed to be fed to the animal and the remainder of the foot] is left in the can to be stored therein until the next feeding time. However until the next feeding time or until that time at which the food is completely removed from the can, there is commonly a problem with the food that remains. The food can have an unpleasant smell that can permeate from the can into the surrounding room, or, if stored in a fridge or cupboard, can permeate into other foods held therein and may contaminate the same with the smell.

There is also typically general unease about storing the pet food in an open can adjacent to other foodstuffs in case damage is caused to these other foodstuffs. Furthermore the provision of an opened can on a vorktop or in a fridge is unsightly, but all of these problems arc tolerated at present. \X'ith regard to the last problem it is possible to remove the foodstuff entirely from thc item and store it in a covered bowl or suchlike which may be more pleasing to the eye but this involves the use and subsequent cleaning of another item and does not solve the problem of smell and possible contamination.

An aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a container device which can be used to overcome the problems described above and also, preferably, provide further advantageous features.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a container, said container provided with a first part and a second part, which parts, when brought together, define an interior cavity for the location of an item therein, in which item is contained a foodstuff and wherein said parts are provided with engagement means to retain the same together and at least partially seal the interior cavity.

In one embodiment the container includes a first part which acts as a base, and a second part which acts as a top, said first and second parts having respective free ends which are so shaped to as to allow the same to be brought together and allow engagement of the first and second parts together. In one embodiment the engagement is achieved by the provision of matching threaded formations but other suitable engagement means can be utilised.

Typically location formations are provided so as to locate the item in position in the cavity. In one embodiment the location formations are provided by the inner walls of the cavity which are sized and shaped so as to provide a friction fit with the outer walls of the item.

In another embodiment a plurality of different location formations are provided, with each set of locations formations provided to allow a particular item with known dimensions to be located in position and hence allow the container to be range taking in terms of a number of known item sizes which can be selectively located therein.

In one embodiment the item is a can in which a foodstuff is held. In one particular embodiment the foodstuff is an animal or pet food.

Typically when the item is located and held in the container, the item has already been opened and, most typically, a quantity of the foodstuff removed therefrom. Once the item is placed in the container the same can be held in an enclosed condition and so the smells of the foodstuff can be contained, and, in certain circumstances, the condition of the foodstuff is maintained in a better form than if the item was not placed in the container and the unsightly appearance of the item is avoided by the placement in the container.

In one embodiment at least one part of the container has means to allow the engagement of a utensil therewith which can be used to remove contents of the item therefrom \vhen the container is open.

In another embodiment of the invention the container includes a handle which can be grasped by a user, when closing or opening the container, carrying the container and/or removing contents from the item placed in the container.

In one embodiment the walls of the container are formed of or provided with an insulating material to thereby allow the contents of the item when placed in the container to be retained in a preferred temperature condition for a period of time.

It should be noted that although it is believed to be most likely that the item is placed in the container and the contents such as a foodstuff are retained in the item, another possible embodiment is for the foodstuff to be removed from the item and placed directly into the cavity in the container without the need for the item to be placed therein.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings; wherein Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention in a closed position; Figure 2 illustrates the container of Figure 1 in an open condition; and Figure 3 illustrates a container in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention in a closed condition.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3 there is illustrated a container 2 in accordance with two embodiments of the invention in a closed condition. In both embodiments the container includes a first, base, part 4 and a second, top, part 6. The parts each have free ends 8, 10 respectively which are brought together and engaged, in this case by relative rotation as indicated by arrow 12, to allow threaded formations adjacent the free ends to be engaged to close the same or disengaged to separate the parts as appropriate.

A cavity 14 (shown in broken lines) is formed within the container and said cavity is provided to receive an item such as a can, which has a foodstuff therein and in a manner which will subsequently be described.

In both the embodiments of Figures 1 and 3, the top part 6 has a gripping portion 16 which allows the user to grip the same and allow rotation of the top part with respect to the bottom part 4. Both embodiments also include a formation 18 with an aperture 20 which allows the receipt of a utensil such as a spoon or fork which can be used to remove a quantity of the foodstuff from the item in the cavity of the container.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3 the container is also provided with a handle 29 which allows the container to be gripped when in use. Although it is envisaged that this is of most use when used with a container for Jarger and hence heavier cans placed therein, the provision of the handle is not limited to use with only larger versions of the container.

Fioure 2 illustrates the container of the first embodiment of Fiuure I in an h h open condition in which the top part 6 is removed from the bottom part 4 and an item in the form of a can 22 has been placed into that part of the cavity 14' formed in the bottom part. lit will be seen that the fit provided between the can outer surface 25 dimension and inner surface 27 of the cavity 14 is such that the can is effectively secured in position by the close fit. However the fit should not be so close as to prevent the can from being gripped and pulled out from the cavity part 14' in the direction of arrow 24.

It is also shown how the can top 26 is open and a portion of the foodstuff 38 therein has already been removed. Once the appropriate quantity has been removed, the can, if newly opened, can be placed into the cavity in base part 4, or, if it has already been opened and previously placed in the container, it is likely to already be in position in the cavity part 14'. In either case, the top part 6 can then be placed onto the base part 4 and rotated to engage the threaded formations 28 and hence effectively seal the open can and its contents in the cavity when the closed position of Figure I is achieved.

In one embodiment the container can be provided with location formations which can be selectively paced in the container to act to provide location for the item which is to be placed in the interior cavity. Typically the locatjon formations are of different sizes and can be selectively placed in position by the user so as to allow the appropriate location formation to be used for the size of the item which is to be placed in the container at that time. As items in the form of food cans vary in size the provision of the location formations allows the container to be provided awith an interior cavity whchi is range taking in terms of the different sizes of containers whcih can be fitted in the same as the location formations, which may be rings or discs supplied with the receptacle allows the user to vary the size of the interior cavity to suit the size of the can to be palced therein, and still allow the finger touch handling of the item as, for example, the top of the can be positioned in a simlar part of the cavity, regardless of the actual size of the can, by using selected ones of the location formations.

Tn one embodiment the engagement between the first and second parts of the can are such as to achieve an air tight closure. In one embodiment an internal flange in the lid/top to accomodate a cushioning mechanism and/or a cushion pad which allows foodstuff to be kept for longer and also acts to seal in any odours from the foodstuff within the container.

In one embodiment the container in accordance with the invention can be used in conjunction with a feeding station such that the food held in the item in the container can be dispensed from the item and placed into a bowl provided as part of the feeding station for consumption by, for example, an animal. In one embodiment the feeding station also includes location means for the container such that, for example, the feeding station has an area from which the animal eats and adjacent to that an area where the container is located. This allows users to place the food and bowl together, thus saving time, plus the container acts as a weight for the feeding station to stop the animal from moving the same during feeding. In another embodiment the feeding station includes a further container for other foodstuffs, such as dry food, ie biscuits etc, and allows the user to have all teh foodtsuffs to be used at one lcoation and allows the same to be mixed etc, to suit the user's requirements.

Claims

<claim-text>Claims 1. A container, said container provided with a first part and a second part, which parts when brought together, define an interior cavity for the location of an item therein, said item containing a foodstuff and wherein said parts are provided with engagement means to retain the same together and at least partially seal the interior cavity.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the container first part acts as a base and the second part acts as a top, said first and second parts having respective free ends with matching engagement means at and/or adjacent to said free ends to allow engagement of the first and second parts together.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A container according to claim I wherein location formations are provided so as to locate the item in position in the cavity.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A container according to claim 3 wherein the location formations are shaped and/or of a dimension so as to provide a friction fit with the outer walls of the item which is to be located in the container cavity.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A container according to claim 3 wherein a plurality of location formations are provided for selective use to adapt the interior cavity to receive an item of particular dim en sio n s.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A container according to claim 1 wherein the item located in the container is open condition and the container contains any odours emitted from the open item and/or improves the storage conditions for the foodstuff in the it em.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A container according to claim I wherein means are provided to allow the engagement of a utensil therewith.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A container according to claim I wherein the container includes a handle to be grasped by a user when closing or opening the container, carrying the container and/or removing contents from the item placed in the container.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. A container according to claim 1 wherein the wall of the container is formed of, or provided with, an insulating material to obtain a preferred temperature condition within the cavity of the container for a period of time.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. A container according to claim 1 wherein the container is provided as part of or is locatable with a feeding station sLich that the food held in the item in the container can be dispensed from the item and placed into a bo\vl provided as part of the feeding station for consumption.</claim-text>