KR100608503B1 - Reversible Food Container and How to Use It - Google Patents

Abstract

The food container is reversible from the first dish shape to the second bowl shape and back in between. The user can eat food in the food container while in both contours. In a first aspect, the food container stores food as a dish. In a second aspect, the food container can store food as a bowl. The second appearance is useful for holding liquid foods or other foods that tend to flow. Many food containers can be nested and transported in a first dish form to save space. At the point of use, the food container can be used in the first appearance or can be reversed to the second bowl appearance according to user preference.

Description

Reversible Food Container and How to Use It {INVERTIBLE FOOD CONTAINER}

The present invention relates to a food container, in particular a food container capable of taking two contours, the first geometry, and a second contour concavely opposed to the first contour, at the time of use and according to user preferences. It is about. In two different appearances, the food container may have two different volume capacities and / or depths.

Disposable food containers are well known in the art. Disposable food containers include dishes, bowls, clams, trays and the like.

The art has made considerable efforts to manufacture, mold and deform these food containers in a single plane. The blank has radial grooves in its peripheral area. The blank is inserted between the engagement dies and pressed. Radial grooves are provided for the accumulation of material deformed by the die. Examples of the prior art are US Pat. No. 3,033,434 to Carson, May 8, 1962, US Pat. No. 4,026,458 to Morris et al., May 31, 1977, and August 19, 1986. US Patent No. 4,606,696 to Max et al., US Patent No. 4,609,140 to van Handel et al. On September 2, 1986, and 4,721,500 to van Handel et al. On January 26, 1988, 1993 US Pat. No. 5,230,939, issued to Baum, July 27, 1, and US Pat. No. 5,236,020, issued to Cheshire et al., July 5, 1994, which are incorporated herein by reference. However, no attempt has been made in the prior art to provide a technique for providing a method of using a disclosed product in a form other than that originally provided. Typically, products such as food containers are provided in a generally open form with inclined sidewalls. The sidewalls can reduce the occurrence of spillage of food from the food container.

An example of a food container that can be used in two separate forms is disclosed in WO 99/47424 A1, published Sep. 23, 1999, in the name of Tuss et al., Incorporated herein by reference. do. WO 99/47424 A1 discloses a container which can take a first appearance which is open for storing food and a second appearance which is folded to seal the food container.

At picnics and other events where disposable food containers are used, many different kinds of food are often provided. Some foods can be eaten on a plate, while others can be eaten on a bowl. The user of a disposable food container prefers the convenience of a food container that can store food as a dish and also separately store food as a bowl. Current containers, which seek to be available as bowls and dishes in one and only one appearance, serve as one and only one appearance, and compromise one or quantum performance.

The prior art has shown the need for a container that is deformable between dish and bowl contours. One such variant is the inversion of the food container. Inversion refers to the transition of the convex / concave side relationship of food containers. Reversible food containers allow people to purchase and store only one package of containers. It is no longer necessary to purchase separate packages of dishes and bowls to accommodate different types of cooking items. In addition, the disposal of the container is reduced. In case of purchasing a separate package, only half of the dish and only half of the bowl may be used. Unused containers are discarded several times. Clearly, under these circumstances there is no container to discard once one package of reversible container is used up. In addition, the reversible container can be stored in a dish configuration. The height of the dish is lower than the height of the same number of bowls. Thus, it is possible to store more reversible dishes than a bowl in a particular space limited in the vertical direction. In addition, the effect and convenience of storing the reversible container in its dish form is good when compared to storing the bowl. For example, the bowl should have a higher vertical lift height than when stacking dishes.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a food container that can be used in two different shapes. The first outline represents a dish-shaped outline for storing food as a dish. The second outline represents a bowl-shaped outline for storing food as a bowl. The present invention also provides a double volume food container.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention includes a reversible food container having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The food container is concave toward the first surface and is oriented convexly with respect to the second surface. The food container includes a peripheral circumscribed circle and is arranged in an angled relationship with respect to the central region. A circumferentially oriented hinge line divides the central area and the outer surface. At least one of the outer surface and the central region may be articulated about the circumferential hinge line, whereby the concave and convex orientations of each of the first and second surfaces are reversible, such that the food container is concavely oriented toward the first surface. It may be reversed from the first contour to a second contour oriented concave toward the second surface.

The invention also includes a method of using and reversing a reversible food container. The food container has a first and a second opposing surface, each of which is a top surface and a bottom surface. To reverse the container, the user grips the container around its outer surface and exerts a force on its central area from the convex surface towards the first surface. This force is used to invert the vessel between appearances. Optionally, the user can invert the container by removing the container from the stack of containers, placing the container in a face-to-face relationship on top of the remaining stack, and applying a force to its central area to invert the container. .

The present invention also provides a method for making a reversible food container. The food container of the present invention may be made of paper, plastic or foam using any method known in the art to form a dish having a central area and an outer surface. In one such process, the container is made in a further manufacturing step which includes drilling a hinge line in the container.

1 is a perspective view of a food container used in Example 1 according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a view of the food container of FIG. 1 reversed from a first dish shape to a second bowl shape upon application of a force as indicated by the arrows;

3 is a perspective view of the food container of FIG. 1 after being inverted to a second appearance, FIG.

4 is a cutaway plan view of a modified food container according to the present invention, the left half having a single circumferential hinge line formed in a polygon, the right half also having a circular circumferential hinge line and a radius inside the circumferential hinge line Top view, having a directional hinge line,

5 is a plan view of a modified food container according to the present invention having a continuous circular circumferential hinge line and a discontinuous polygonal circumferential hinge line intersecting with the continuous circular circumferential hinge line, wherein the food container of FIG. A plan view having a continuous radial hinge line between the circumferential hinge lines and exhibiting a high degree of stability,

6 is a plan view of a modified food container according to the present invention having a spirally oriented radial hinge line,

7 is a plan view of a variant embodiment according to the present invention having a circumferential hinge line and two sets of hinge lines that are generally radially oriented and one set radially outward of another set, wherein the food container of FIG. Is a plan view, wherein each set has two sets of panels, each set of radially oriented hinge lines, each set of panels having two different widths.

1 to 3, the food container 10 of the present invention is generally shown in a first dish-shaped outline. The food container 10 defines an XY plane and a Z direction orthogonal to this plane. Food container 10 includes a first surface 12, which is top planar and is used to store food and the like. The food container 10 also has a second surface 14, which is a bottom surface opposite the first surface 12. The food container 10 has the shape defined by the edge 28 of this food container 10. Although a round food container is shown, the present invention is not limited thereto. The food container 10 may be oval, square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal or other regular or irregular polygonal shapes.

In the present specification, the following terms have the following meanings. "Invertible" means that the food container 10 of the present invention can be deformed from one appearance to another when exerting an external force. Preferably, the external force is a mechanical force. The two outlines of the food container 10 are generally dish-shaped and generally bowl-shaped. Typically, dish-like contours have larger circumferential dimensions, while bowl-shaped contours have greater depth. The depth is measured perpendicular to the plane of the food container 10.

The food container 10 according to the invention is considered to be bistable. By "bistable" it is meant that the food container 10 can maintain the first or second appearance indefinitely. The food container 10 does not move from the first appearance to the second appearance, from the second appearance to the first appearance or from either appearance to the intermediate appearance without external influence. The food container 10 does not take other appearances or configurations without external influences. Moreover, the food container 10 has unexpected stiffness in the first appearance and while in the second appearance.

The food container 10 is inverted between two aforementioned positions about one or more hinge lines 20, 22. Hinge lines 20 and 22 are weak lines, and the various sections of food container 10 are bent around the weak lines during inversion. The hinge line 20 can be “circumferentially oriented”, which surrounds and typically circumscribes an area in which the hinge line substantially coincides with the center and the outer surface 18 of the food container 10. The hinge line 22 may be “radially oriented”, which hinge line 22 extends outwardly toward the outer surface 18 from the center of the food container 10 or from a position parallel to the center. .

Circumferentially / radially oriented hinge lines 20, 22 may be provided by any means known in the art. The circumferential / radial oriented hinge lines 20, 22 are weak lines in the food container 10. The circumferential / radial oriented hinge lines 20, 22 cause the food container 10 to be inverted in a predetermined manner. Hinge lines 20 and 22 may be disposed on first surface 12 or on second surface 14, or on both sides of food container 10. If the hinge lines 20, 22 are disposed on both the first and second surfaces 12, 14 of the food container 10, the hinge lines 20, 22 are opposed to the opposing surfaces 12 of the food container 10. 14 may be disposed oppositely from the corresponding hinge lines 20, 22 on. Optionally, radial hinge lines 22 may be disposed on one of the surfaces 12, 14, and circumferential hinge lines 20 may be disposed on the other of the surfaces 12, 14.

The material may be cut or removed from the food container 10 to form hinge lines 20, 22 oriented circumferentially / radially. However, the material is compressed or densified to form hinge lines 20, 22 oriented circumferentially / radially. Perforation designs and techniques are well known in the art of dish manufacturing. Hinge lines 20 and 22 include individual segments that are continuous or separated by lands. If the food container 10 is waterproofed on one of the surfaces 12, 14, it is desirable to arrange the hinge lines 20, 22 so that the surfaces 12, 14 remain intact and the waterproof performance is maintained. can do.

The food container 10 is divided into two separate regions by a circumferentially oriented hinge line 20, a central region 16 and an outer surface 18. The central area 16 is the main location for placing the food item. The “center region 16” of the food container 10 is inside of the circumferentially oriented hinge line 20. Between the circumferentially oriented hinge line 20 and the edge or rim of the food container 10 is the outer surface 18 of the food container 10. The outer surface 18 surrounds a central region 16 which provides a generally annular shape.

The outer surface 18 may be disposed in an angular relationship that is typically obtuse with respect to the central region 16. The outer surface 18 is typically raised to the central region 16 during use to minimize or prevent the occurrence of food spills from the edge of the food container 10. The outer surface 18 typically defines two sections, the wall section 36 characterized by having upper and outer slopes with respect to the central region 16, and the edge 28 of the food container 10. An upper rim section 38. In one embodiment of the invention, the central region 16 may be reinforced. Reinforcement of the central region 16 is disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,179,203 B1, issued to T. et al. On January 30, 2001, incorporated herein by reference. The relatively stronger central region 16 allows the food container 10 to be inverted more easily and to hold the food material better. The hinge line can be formed in the food container 10 by perforation, a method known in the art. In the case of a plastic container, the living hinge can be molded into the container as is well known in the art.

4 and 5, the circumferentially oriented hinge line 20 may take various forms around the central region 16. For example, a star or daisy shape may be formed. As used herein, a "star" shape is a geometric shape with multiple sides concave oriented inwardly toward the center. Daisy shapes, on the other hand, are geometric shapes in which multiple sides are concave from center to outside and vice versa. Optionally, the circumferentially oriented hinge line 20 may form a circular or other closed polygon around the central region 16. Although not preferred, the food container 10 of the present invention is a circumferentially oriented circumferential hinge line with respect to the central region 16 and / or the outer surface 18 of the food container 10. 20 can be used.

4-7, the food container 10 may also have a hinge line 22 that is radially oriented. The radially oriented hinge line 22 extends mainly radially from approximately the center of the central region 16. Preferably, the radially oriented hinge line 22 is disposed only outside of the circumferential hinge line 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the radially oriented hinge lines 22 may be arranged in a helical configuration.

If a radially oriented hinge line 22 is used for the food container 10, this hinge line 22 is preferably disposed outside of the circumferential hinge line 20. If the radially oriented hinge line 22 is disposed inside the circumferential hinge line 20, the radially oriented hinge line 22 may weaken the central area 16 of the food container 10. have.

As shown in FIG. 7, a radially oriented hinge line 22 may be disposed on the outer surface 18. The radially oriented hinge line 22 divides the outer surface 18 into the panel 24. The food container 10 of FIG. 7 has a generally rounded edge 28 in the first outline. When reversed to the second contour, the same food container 10 will have a polygonal edge 28 due to the deflection of the panel 24.

The radially oriented hinge line 22 according to the invention can be multi-plane. By “multi-planar” is meant that the radially oriented hinge line 22 extends at least an identifiable distance in a direction with a vector component orthogonal to the original direction, traversing a single direction. . Although not theoretically limited, during the reversal of the food container 10, the panel 24 tends to be twisted and deformed, causing a tendency for the food container 10 to stabilize in either the first or second appearance, but An external force is required to cause reversal from one contour to another.

The invention may be practiced with several different variations of the radially oriented hinge line 22. The radially oriented hinge line 22 may block or be spaced apart from the circumferentially oriented hinge line 20. The radially oriented hinge line 22 extends radially outward to the edge 28 of the food container 10. The number of radially oriented hinge lines 22 may range from about 3 to about 12. Typically, the number of radially oriented hinge lines 22 is about 6 to about 9. The radially oriented hinge lines 22 are typically equally spaced about the outer surface 18. The method of making the radially oriented hinge line 22 is perforated or molded and is the same method used to make the circumferentially oriented hinge line 20.

The shape and size of the food container 10 is defined by the edge 28. It should be understood that the dimensions and relative proportions of the outer surface 18 and the central region 16 of the food container 10 may vary depending on the exact size of the food container 10 and the intended use. Although a round food container 10 is shown in FIG. 1, those skilled in the art understand that any suitable shape and depth of food container 10 can be selected for use in the present invention. Other suitable shapes include squares, rectangles, ovals, stars, various polygons, and the like.

1 to 3, three steps of the inversion method of the present invention are shown. The food container 10 is preferably configured to accommodate mutual inversion between the two appearances. 1 shows a food container 10 in a first appearance. As described above, the first outer shape is dish-shaped. 2 illustrates applying a force to the central region 16 of the food container 10 as indicated by the arrow. The hand typically grips the food container 10 on the outer surface 18. While the food container 10 is firmly held, a force 32 is applied toward the second surface 14 in the central region 16. At the same time, the moment 34 is applied along the outer surface 18. In FIG. 3, the food container 10 is shown inverted to a second appearance that is a bowl.

The food container 10 according to the invention can be made of a rigid material, in particular a material provided for reversal, as described above. Suitable rigid materials include foams, plastics, and various other synthetic materials. The food container 10 may be made of cellulose, in which case it may be made of solid bleached sulfite or a layer of various types of fibers comprising regenerated cellulose. Preferably, additional rigidity and thermal insulation performance may be provided by the material selected for the food container 10. In addition, the material of the food container 10 does not need to be the same as a whole.

The multiple ply food container 10 may be made of corrugated cardboard. This food container 10 may comprise multiple plies arranged in a face-to-face relationship. The multiple ply food container 10 includes at least three plies, namely a first ply, a second ply and a third ply. The second ply is interposed between the first ply and the second ply, and the first and third plies are spaced apart from each other by the second ply. The second ply provides air space between the first ply and the third ply. The air space helps to reduce heat transfer through the food container 10. Suitable configurations are disclosed in WO 99/53810 published in the name of Plumber et al., Incorporated herein by reference.

The corrugated cardboard generally includes a flat layer and a corrugated layer. The corrugated layer has a flat layer and ribs spaced apart from the grooves bonded to the flat layer, rather than being bonded in every shape. Ribs and grooves are often straight and parallel, but may be serpentine. In cross section, the ribs can be S-shaped, C-shaped, Z-shaped, and can have all configurations known in the art. Also, if desired, the second flat panel can be bonded to the corrugated medium and is disposed opposite from the first flat panel.

Optionally, the food container 10 may be molded into a pulp slurry, or pressed from the blank between the meshing dies. Both methods of preparation are known in the art.

In joint practice, bowls are typically deep and contain a volumetric capacity that is greater than comparable diameter dishes. Typically, the dish has a relatively low volume capacity and is shallower in depth. The food container 10 according to the present invention has a larger volume capacity in the bowl-shaped second outline than in the dish-shaped first outline. This second bowl shape is particularly useful for holding liquid foods or foods with fluidity such as soups, stews, cereals, ice cream and similar foods. Plates, on the other hand, are more solid and are often used to hold foods that tend to retain their shape, such as steaks, sandwiches, cakes, and the like.

In the present invention, the volumetric capacity of the bowl-shaped second contour of the food container 10 can be increased by increasing the diameter of the food container 10, in particular the rim section 38, while in the first dish-shaped contour. Unfortunately, this increases the depth of the second bowl contour and hence the volumetric capacity.

To illustrate this point, many different reversible food containers 10 have been manufactured and their first and second volume doses measured using the following procedure. First, the food container 10 located on the laboratory scale in the first dish-like shape is processed so that the upper rim section 38 of the container is horizontal and maintains its shape and shape upon filling with water. Support. The balance was weighed. The food container 10 is filled with water having a specific gravity of 1 g / cm 3 until the top of the water is visually horizontal with the upper rim section 38 of the food container 10. The weight of water is determined and recorded as cm 3 as the first volume capacity of the food container 10.

Water is removed from the food container 10. The food container 10 is dried and inverted into a second bowl-shaped outline. The food container 10 is placed on a laboratory scale with its upper rim section 38 again horizontal and supported to retain its appearance and shape when filled with water. The balance weight is confirmed, and then the bowl-type food container 10 is filled with water having a specific gravity of 1 g / cm 3 until the upper portion of the water is visually horizontal with the upper rim of the food container 10. The weight of water is determined and recorded in cm 3 as the second volume capacity.

The ratio of the second volume dose to the first volume dose is calculated and recorded. In addition, the ratio of depth and diameter is measured and recorded.

If food container 10 absorbs water in both shapes, those skilled in the art know how to protect the container surface from water penetration or damage while achieving accurate volumetric capacity measurements. In addition, if the upper rim section 38 of the container is irregular, those skilled in the art can measure the depth of the food container 10 from the lowest point of the rim section 38 to the low point of the central region 16, The weight is known when it coincides with the lower point of this upper rim section 38.

The depths of the containers of the first and second contours are measured and recorded in mm. A Starrett scale maintained at a vertical position can be used for this purpose. If necessary, a straight edge can be placed across the food container 10 in the horizontal direction to assist in depth measurement. The following examples illustrate the depth and volumetric capacity comparisons of the various samples of the present invention.

Example 1

The disposable foam food container 10 shown in FIGS. 1-3 with a gently sloped outer surface 18 was tested as described above. This food container 10 does not have a hinge line 22 oriented in the radial direction. The circumferentially oriented hinge line 20 is provided as a circle having a diameter of approximately the center region 16 of the food container 10 in its first dish-like contour.

Example 2

A disposable paper food container 10 is tested having an outer surface 18 having a substantially sloped wall section 36 and an upper rim section 38 in the first dish-like contour. The circumferentially oriented hinge line 20 is a circle having a diameter of approximately the center region 16 of the food container 10 in its first dish-like contour. This container does not have a radially oriented hinge line 22.

Example 3

A disposable paper food container 10 is tested which has a substantially sloped wall section 36 and an outer surface 18 having a radially expanded upper rim section 38 for the first dish-shaped contour. . These tests have shown that the rim section radially increases the depth and volume capacity of the second bowl contour without altering these properties in the first dish contour. This food container 10 has a circular circumferentially oriented hinge line 20 having a diameter of approximately the center region 16 of the food container 10 in the first dish-like contour. This food container 10 does not have a radially oriented hinge line 22.

Example 4

Disposable paper food container 10 having a substantially sloped wall section 36 with a middle radial extension and an outer surface 18 having a radially extending upper rim section 38 in a first dish-like contour Is tested. The appearance is similar to that of the two previous embodiments. This food container 10 has a circular circumferentially oriented hinge line 20 having a diameter of approximately the center region 16 of the food container 10 in the first dish-like contour. This food container 10 does not have a radially oriented hinge line 22.

The data is shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Central area diameter, cm 14.3 16.5 16.5 16.5 1st appearance, dish characteristics Diameter, cm 22.4 25.8 24.4 Depth, mm 17 22 21 21 Volumetric capacity, ㏄ 531.2 506 431 431 2nd appearance, bowl characteristics Diameter, cm 21.1 24.7 23 Depth, mm 27 33 41 38 Volumetric capacity, ㏄ 666.4 701 1250 775.8 ratio Diameter: Dish / Bowl 1.06 1.04 1.06 Depth: Bowl / Dish 1.59 1.50 1.95 1.81 Volume: Bowl / Dish 1.25 1.39 2.90 1.80

Table 1 shows that the food container 10 according to the invention has a second volume capacity which is at least 25%, 50%, or even 100% greater than the first volume. The first and second volumes are associated with dish and bowl shapes, respectively. Table 1 also shows that the food container 10 may have a depth associated with a second contour that is at least 25%, 50%, or even 75% greater than the depth associated with the first contour.

If desired, multiple food containers 10 may be packaged, stored and transported in a nested configuration. In the nested configuration, the first surface 12 of the food container 10 is positioned in contact with the second surface 14 of the adjacent food container 10. With the nested configuration, the footprint can be preserved if bowl appearance or depth can be preserved when the dish configuration is used.

Multiple nested food containers 10 can be used to facilitate the reversal method. For example, one food container 10 may be separated from a plurality of nested containers. Multiple nested vessels may be positioned with the convex second surface 14 facing upwards on a support surface, such as a table or counter top. The separated food container 10 is positioned and coincidentally on top of the plurality of food containers 10 superimposed with the convex second surface 14 in contact. A reversing force 32 is exerted on the separate food container 10 and is resisted by a plurality of nested containers, so that easier reversal is achieved. Alternatively, the nested plurality of food containers 10 may be positioned on the support surface with the concave first surface 12 facing upwards. The separated food container 10 is positioned and coincidentally on top of the plurality of food containers 10 superposed with the separated food container 10 in contact with the concave first surface 12. Again, a reversing force 32 is exerted on the separated food container 10 and resisted by a plurality of nested containers, whereby easier reversal is achieved.

If necessary, the plunger can be used to apply a reversing force 32. The plunger should be sized close to the outer surface 18 when the central region 16 or the convex second surface 14 of the food container 10 is in contact when the first concave surface 12 is in contact. Conventional household articles such as lids, saucers, etc. may be used for the plunger.

Although the disposable food container 10 has been described above, it should be understood that a durable and reusable food container 10 is also possible within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the material from which the food container 10 is manufactured does not need to be the same as a whole. For example, different materials may be used for the central region 16 and the outer surface 18. In addition, the food container 10 may further include a cover on both sides to store perishable contents and the like. Many other combinations and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (30)

delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete A reversible food container comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the reversible food container comprising: The food container is concavely oriented toward the first surface and convex with respect to the second surface, the food container having a central area and an angled angle with respect to the central area surrounding the central area. At least one of the outer surface and the central region, wherein the outer surface is disposed in an outer surface, a circumferentially oriented hinge line between the central region and the outer surface, and a radially oriented hinge line for assisting inversion. Is articulated about the circumferentially oriented hinge line, whereby the concave and convex orientations of the first and second surfaces are each concave such that the second surface is concave and the first surface is convex. Reversible, The food container is reversible between two contours, a first contour concavely oriented towards the first surface and a second contour concavely oriented toward the second surface, the food container being the first contour. And a first volume dose associated with the second contour, the second volume dose being at least 25% greater than the first volume dose. Food container. The method of claim 11, The circumferentially oriented hinge line is a polygon Food container. The method of claim 11, The circumferentially oriented hinge line is circular. Food container. The method of claim 11, And a plurality of radially oriented hinge lines, wherein the radially oriented hinge lines extend from a proximal end to a distal end, each intersecting the circumferentially oriented hinge line, the distal end being a radius of the proximal end. Direction outwardly and disposed on the outer surface of the food container Food container. The method of claim 14, And an edge defining an edge of the food container, wherein the distal end of the radially oriented hinge line is disposed at the edge of the food container. Food container. The method of claim 11, The food container is circular in shape Food container. The method of claim 11, The food container is rectangular Food container. delete A reversible food container comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the reversible food container comprising: The food container is concavely oriented toward the first surface and convex with respect to the second surface, the food container having a central area and an angled angle with respect to the central area surrounding the central area. At least one of the outer surface and the central region, wherein the outer surface is disposed in an outer surface, a circumferentially oriented hinge line between the central region and the outer surface, and a radially oriented hinge line for assisting inversion. Is articulated about the circumferentially oriented hinge line, whereby the concave and convex orientations of the first and second surfaces are each concave such that the second surface is concave and the first surface is convex. Reversible, The food container is reversible between two contours, a first contour concavely oriented towards the first surface and a second contour concavely oriented toward the second surface, the food container being the first contour. And a first volume dose associated with the second contour, the second volume dose being at least 50% greater than the first volume dose. Food container. A reversible food container comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the reversible food container comprising: The food container is concavely oriented toward the first surface and convex with respect to the second surface, the food container having a central area and an angled angle with respect to the central area surrounding the central area. At least one of the outer surface and the central region, wherein the outer surface is disposed in an outer surface, a circumferentially oriented hinge line between the central region and the outer surface, and a radially oriented hinge line for assisting inversion. Is articulated about the circumferentially oriented hinge line, whereby the concave and convex orientations of the first and second surfaces are each concave such that the second surface is concave and the first surface is convex. Reversible, The food container is reversible between two contours, a first contour concavely oriented towards the first surface and a second contour concavely oriented toward the second surface, the food container being the first contour. And a first volume dose associated with the second contour, the second volume dose being at least 100% greater than the first volume dose. Food container. A reversible food container comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the reversible food container comprising: The food container is concavely oriented toward the first surface and convex with respect to the second surface, the food container having a central area and an angled angle with respect to the central area surrounding the central area. At least one of the outer surface and the central region, wherein the outer surface is disposed in an outer surface, a circumferentially oriented hinge line between the central region and the outer surface, and a radially oriented hinge line for assisting inversion. Is articulated about the circumferentially oriented hinge line, whereby the concave and convex orientations of the first and second surfaces are each concave such that the second surface is concave and the first surface is convex. Reversible, The food container is reversible between two contours, a first contour concavely oriented towards the first surface and a second contour concavely oriented toward the second surface, the food container being the first contour. Having a first volume dose associated with the second volume dose, wherein the second volume dose is at least 25% greater than the first volume dose, The food container has a first depth in the first outline and a second depth in the second outline, the second depth being at least 50% greater than the first depth. Food container. A reversible food container comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the reversible food container comprising: The food container is concavely oriented toward the first surface and convex with respect to the second surface, the food container having a central area and an angled angle with respect to the central area surrounding the central area. At least one of the outer surface and the central region, wherein the outer surface is disposed in an outer surface, a circumferentially oriented hinge line between the central region and the outer surface, and a radially oriented hinge line for assisting inversion. Is articulated about the circumferentially oriented hinge line, whereby the concave and convex orientations of the first and second surfaces are each concave such that the second surface is concave and the first surface is convex. Reversible, The food container is reversible between two contours, a first contour concavely oriented towards the first surface and a second contour concavely oriented toward the second surface, the food container being the first contour. Having a first volume dose associated with the second volume dose, wherein the second volume dose is at least 25% greater than the first volume dose, The food container has a first depth in the first contour and a second depth in the second contour, the second depth being at least 75% greater than the first depth. Food container. A method of using a reversible food container, Providing a plurality of identical food containers, each food container having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, each food container being concave oriented toward the first surface and Providing the food container having a depth of depth and convex toward the second surface; Stacking the food containers in a face-to-face nested relationship, wherein the first surface of the one food container is in contact with the second surface of the next food container; Conveying said plurality of food containers in said stacked relationship; Separating at least one food container from the stacked containers; Inverting the separated food container from the first appearance to a second appearance; The food container is concavely oriented toward the second surface How to use a reversible food container. The method of claim 23, Inverting the food container from the first contour to the second contour comprises manually inverting the food container. How to use a reversible food container. The method of claim 24, The food container has a central region and an outer surface, the outer surface surrounding the central region and having an angle with respect to the central region, Applying a force having a vector component perpendicular to the central region; How to use a reversible food container. The method of claim 25, By placing the separated food containers in a face-to-face relationship with a plurality of food containers in a nested relationship, each of the first or second surfaces of the separated food containers is one of the plurality of food containers. Contacting and supported by the first or second surface, and applying a reversing force to the separated food container, The force is directed toward the plurality of food containers, whereby the separated food containers are reversed How to use a reversible food container. The method of claim 26, Wherein the plurality of food containers are positioned on a support surface with the convex second surface facing upwards. How to use a reversible food container. The method of claim 27, Using a plunger to apply the reversing force How to use a reversible food container. A method of using a reversible food container, Providing a food container having a central region and an outer surface, the outer surface surrounding the central region and angled with respect to the central region, the food container facing the first surface and the first surface; And a second surface, wherein the food container is concavely oriented toward the first surface and has a first depth, and is convex toward the second surface, the food container being the central area and the And a circumferentially oriented hinge line between the outer surface and a radially oriented hinge line for assisting inversion, wherein at least one of the outer surface and the central region includes the circumferentially oriented hinge line. Comprising said step, articulated to the center, Applying a reversal force to the central region so that the concave and convex orientations of the first and second surfaces, respectively, are reversed, whereby the first surface is convex and the second surface is concave. doing How to use a reversible food container. The method of claim 29, The food container has a dish-shaped contour having a first depth and is reversible to a bowl-shaped contour having a second depth, the second depth being greater than the first depth, and the step of providing the food container is Providing the food container in a dish form; How to use a reversible food container.

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