IE20090891U1

IE20090891U1 - A container

Info

Publication number: IE20090891U1
Application number: IE2009/0891A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Breen Joe
Original assignee: Breen Joe
Filing date: 2009-11-25
Publication date: 2010-06-23

Abstract

ABSTRACT The invention is concerned with a container and in particular a container which is displaceable between a storage stale and a deployed stale and which dclincs 2: plumlily ol‘ discrete recepticlcs or compartmcnls within which individual doses or incimiremcnls ofa product or substance may be retained. for example consumable produc1.x‘ in solid. liquid or gaseous lorms.

Description

Field ofthe invention This invention relates to a container, and in particular a container which is displaceable betn ccn a storage state and a deployed state and which deﬁnes a plurality of discrete ieceptacles or coinpartmerits within which individual doses or measures of a product or substance may be retained, for example consumable products in solid. liquid or gaseous I0 forms. one particular example being ice cubes Qaclzground of the invention I5 11 is often desirable to store consumable products in discrete doses or portions, allowing the consumer to use a single dose ofthe product at a time and thus maintaining the iiitcgi'ity and thus freshness/state ofthe remaining doses or portions for later use. One such C.‘\'ull1|)lC is the use of ice cubes. lce cubes are generally produced by ﬁlling an ice cube tray with water and placing it in a freezer in order to freeze the individual pockets of water into ice cubes, which can then be used in single portions as required while the reinaining ice cubes are prescrx-ed for later use. Various forms of ice cube tray exist, ﬁoin coiivemioiinl plastic or metal trays which produce standard cube shaped ice cubes to novelty ice cube trays which Ce ice cubes of various shape and size. : 1-lowcver conventional ice cube trays have fallen out of favour with many people, due to drzmbaclts associated with same. Many people find ﬁlling the trays and locating them in a freezer without spillage a difficult and frustrating task, and often if the freezer is reopened before the water in the tray is frozen, this will result in further spillage. lt is also necessary to lizivc a substantially horizontal surface onto which to place the ice cube tray, again in order to avoid spillage, and such a flat surface is often not available in most domestic freezers due to the existing, load. As a result many people choose to buy pre-made bags of ice cubes. which are simply placed into the freezer without requiring careful positioning, and can then simply be used as required. However, in order for retailers to stock these bags of ready made

Claims

1. A container comprising a tray deﬁning an array ofreceptacles; wherein the tray is displaceable between an expanded state and a storage state.

2. A container according to claim I which, when in the expanded state the tray defines: a SLll)S[3l‘ill1-Illly planar anay of the receptacles.

3. A container according to claim I or 2 in which each receptacle comprises a mouth which is outwardly accessible when the tray is in the storage state.

4. A container according to any preceding claim in which each receptacle is slizipcd and dimensioned to permit the tray to be displaced into the storage state with SLIlJSlZl|'lllflll_y no contact between and/or deformation oftlie receptacles when in the storage state. S. A method of manufacturing a product ﬁlled container, the method coiiiprising the steps of‘; proxritling a tray in a deployed state, the tray defining a plurality of receptacles; ﬁlling at least some of the receptacles with the product; each receptacle; and displacing the tray into a storage state.