KR20180090202A - Portable food container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable food container (2) which has a plate-shaped base part (4) and a cover (6) to be positioned on the base part (4). Locking elements (8) are provided on the base part (4) and are movable via a fixed pivot pin (10). Contact surfaces (26) are configured on the locking elements (8) and the locking elements (8) are non-positively and/or positively in engagement with corresponding contact surfaces (28) on the cover (6) in the locked position. With lowering movement into the base part (4) and through downwardly facing actuating lugs (18), the cover (6) actuates the locking elements (8) which move at the same time out of the open position into the locked position.

Description

[0001] PORTABLE FOOD CONTAINER [0002]

The present invention relates to a base member having a base portion in the form of a plate and a cover which can be located in the base portion, a fixing element movable by a fixed pivot pin is connected to the base portion, Wherein the stationary element can be pivoted back and forth around the pivot pin between an open position and a stationary position, each pivot pin being located between the ends of the stationary element, Wherein a first end of each of the securing elements spaced from the pin is formed as an actuating surface and a second end opposite the securing body is formed as a securing body and in a fixed position with the securing body formed at the second end, To prevent detachment from the base portion, through the contact surface formed in the stationary element, In a non-positively and / or positively coupled manner with the corresponding contact surface on the cover.

Universal food containers are described in document DE 20 2010 001 881 U1. Such food containers may be used to carry pies, cakes or pastries, but may also be used to carry other foods, such as cheese, bread, salads, and the like. Some of these foods are very sensitive to the acting force and must therefore be carefully and carefully packaged in a transport container. During transport, it is desirable to avoid, as much as possible, any component of the food to be transported, such as, for example, liquids, etc., to the outside.

If the base portion is not covered by the cover, the cover must be precisely adjusted to the seat provided for covering. Thus, the stationary element described herein must be pushed manually into the stationary position. Because the fastening body has only a small dimension, the contact surfaces must be precisely positioned relative to one another. This is not always successful on first attempt, so you may have to try several times to secure the cover securely. In addition, there is a risk that the fixed body in the contact area is overloaded and deformed or loosened because a large working surface can provide a relatively large force to the relatively small fixed body. As a result, the cover can no longer be fixed securely.

An object of the present invention is to simplify the operation and handling of food containers.

This object is achieved in a portable food container according to the invention in which the actuating surface of each locking element has a bearing surface on the base part, And at least a base portion in a region of each of the stationary elements has a receiving space and a lower portion formed on the edge of the cover on the side of the base, Directional actuating lug may descend into the receiving space along a lowering path and the first end of each stationary element formed as an actuating surface may be moved from an open position to a fixed position locked position to a receiving space along the descending path of the operating lug and the first end is pivoted about the pivot pin to the open position The actuating lug strikes against the actuating surface and the actuating lug continues to descend along the descending path and the first end as a lever arm From the open position to the fixed position and the second end of the stationary element is pivoted from the open position to the stationary position by pivoting movement of the first end of each stationary element.

According to the embodiment according to the fixing elements of the present invention, it is possible to fix the fixing elements simply by arranging the cover on the base portion. This fixing process is implemented by a lifting movement in which the operating lugs of the cover are moved into the receiving space along the downward path when the cover is located at the base portion. The lifting movement of the actuating lug triggers the pivoting movement of the stationary elements, which are then pivoted in their path and moved from the open position to the stationary position. In this case, the carrier container may be round, oval or in the form of a plurality of corner portions. At least two, three or four stationary elements are preferred, with the stationary elements being attached at any desired position to any desired container configuration.

The contact surfaces on the actuating lugs with the fixing elements can correspondingly be formed large-surfaced, depending on the width and the peripheral size of the receiving space. The large surface has a smaller specific load per unit surface than devices known from the prior art. Due to the small non-load per unit surface, material wear can be reduced, the numerical value of the components can be increased, efficiency can be improved in arranging the cover in the base portion, the locking force is actuated So that the fixing elements are less deformed during the locking behavior resulting therefrom.

Further, a plurality of handles are not required to fix the cover to the base portion. A cover may be arranged on the base portion so that the operating lugs slide to the receiving space. Then, the cover is pressed into the base portion with a small holding pressure, where the fixing elements are pivoted and moved to the fixed position. Thus, there is no need for a manual locking procedure for individual stationary elements.

The cover and the fastening elements can not be easily released from the fastening position accidentally, even though they can be moved from the fastening position, because the fastening elements must lift the cover during the opening movement. Additional stability is provided to prevent the cover from being moved out of the locked position during delivery of the carrying container due to the frictional force and the weight of the cover caused by the cover being supported on the surface part of the base portion.

The pivoting motion of the stationary elements during the fixation process can be visually monitored immediately during the process of arranging the cover. When the fixing elements are moved to the fixed position, the arrangement and fixing process of the cover ends without the need to further handle the cover. In other cases, the cover can be immediately reattached to check whether any foreign body is located in the receiving space in the downward path of the cover.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the securing element in the securing position encompasses the lower and outer edges of the cover from the outside to the second end. In this way, the stationary elements form part of the outer periphery of the outer surface of the transport container. When the carrying container is gripped and lifted, it can be gripped by hand with the locking elements, thereby further preventing accidental opening. Fixing elements may have a shape that fits into the hand-held fixing elements and facilitates handling. At this time, the fixing elements may form a carrying handle protruding laterally on the outer periphery of the base portion and the cover body, and the carrying container may be positioned thereon and fixed.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a grip edge is formed at the second end of each stationary element, the stationary elements can be fixed on the top and can be manually moved from the stationary position to the open position. The grip edge is configured to extend precisely parallel or at least approximately parallel to the pivot pin located a distance from the pivot pin along the pivot pin. Thus, when the grip edge is pulled, the locking body can be pivoted from the locked position toward the open position. In a fixed position of the fastening element, the grip edges protrude at least nearly the thickness of the fingers on the surrounding outer surface and / or base portion of the cover, so that it can be gripped correctly and efficiently protected from slippage. A bearing surface for a finger intersecting the uppermost edge may be formed below the uppermost edge of the grip edge to prevent the finger from slipping easily when pulled on the stationary element have. Due to the pivoting movement of the second end around the pivot pin, the first end of the securing element is moved about the pivot pin, and when the securing element is opened by the movement of the first end, the cover is lifted from the securing position It always has an effect. As a result, the cover can be more easily detached from the base portion.

According to one embodiment of the invention, when a latching lug is formed in the cover and / or the stationary element of the contact surface area and the stationary element pivots to a fixed position, Is coupled with a corresponding latching lug so that the locking element is positively securing to the locking position. By latching the stationary element to the stationary position, the stationary element is stably fixed, preventing accidental opening of the stationary element more efficiently. The latching lug is preferably located on the inner face of the stationary element in the region of the second end. Here, the second end can easily ascend when the fastening element is opened, and the latching lug can be guided in the latching lug of the corresponding component to reattach and detach the fastening by the latching lug.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the operating lug is formed as a protrusion extending in the direction of the downward path and extending downward away from the lower peripheral edge of the cover, The lower peripheral edge of the cover has a support projection that extends or extends substantially completely in a transverse direction with respect to the descent path, and a portion of the base portion is directed outwardly from the fixed position of the cover Abutting the front surface such that the portion of the base portion is connected to the pivot pin and the contact surface formed on the upper side of the portion of the base portion and the contact surface of the stationary element is supported in the fixed position. The protrusion is well suited for transferring an adjusting force from the downward movement of the cover to the first end of the stationary element. The protrusions extend, at least in part, by a distance such that the first and second ends of the stationary element are separated from each other. Further, the projections support the support projections in the downward direction at the fixed position. The support protrusions extend outwardly in the radial direction of the base portion in the transverse direction through the receiving space. In the fixed position, the support projection having an outwardly facing front surface supports said portion of the base portion connected to the pivot pin in a transverse direction inwardly. The pivot pin formed in the base portion and the first and second ends of the fixation element and the protrusion, the support projection, and the pivot pin together with the support portion in the base portion are supported by each other without clearance, To form a fixed geometry at the location. This fixation can be detached by the second end of the stationary element and is pivoted by the pivoting motion from the contact surface on the support surface and / or the support surface, depending on the contact surface and / or design, The pivot pin can be detached upwardly from the portion of the base portion connected to the pivot pin and only then the protrusions can be removed from the base portion before the protrusion located on the cover is lifted from the receiving space in the direction opposite to the downward direction along the downward path, And is in contact with the first end of the stationary element. Conversely, when the projection of the support protrusion is engaged with the corresponding contact surface of the base portion connected to the pivot pin, after the protrusion descends into the receiving space, it is particularly stably fixed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the receiving space is formed to receive a projection on the outside of the fastening elements extending on the base portion, wherein in the fastening position of the cover, And at the fixing position of the cover, the projecting portion in this region is supported on the lower side with respect to the base of the accommodation space. The cover is very rigidly connected because the cover is connected to the base portion by the fastening elements and is supported outside the area where it is connected to the base portion by the projections and the support protrusions so that even when the load acts non- Also, the carrying container is slightly twisted. At this time, the protrusions and the support protrusions act in different load directions to accommodate the working load. If the receiving space externally surrounds a substantial portion or entire base portion of the base portion, a fluid escaping from the food carried in the conveying container, for example a liquid or cream from the cake, can be easily collected inside . Then, the protrusions and the support protrusions form a certain type of barrier that prevents the liquid from being freely discharged. Thus, the intermediate space between the protrusions and the support protrusions and the receiving space itself is such that the liquid entering the receiving space at one point can be distributed over the length of the entire receiving space before the liquid is discharged to the outside, Channel. The protrusions and the transverse protrusions do not need to be formed to provide a full seal, but in any case they form an additional barrier to prevent liquid from escaping to the receiving space.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the stationary element is connected to the pivot pin by a pivoting latching device formed on each stationary element. Due to the latching element of the pivotal rotation latching device, the fastening elements can simply be clipped to the axle end of the pivot pin at the base portion. The stationary elements can then be relatively easily removed again, for example, for cleaning purposes, for example. However, the stationary elements are sufficiently rigidly secured to the pivot pin to enable the stationary function to be achieved. To this end, the numerical values of the tabs of the pivoting rotation latching elements are correspondingly formed to fit the material and material thickness of the pivoting rotation latching element.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, on the surface, cover and / or base portion of the stationary element, soft plastic material is provided in areas suitable for gripping. The term "flexible plastic material" is to be understood as a material which provides a softer and more pleasant gripping sensation compared to the materials used in other sectors for use in transport containers. Also, due to the surface portions on which the flexible plastic material is provided, it is impression that it is a high quality product. Due to the different designs in the corresponding colors, surface components made of flexible plastic material indicate which part is the most suitable part to grip the carrying container.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a releasably connected presentation plate to the base portion may be located on top of the base portion. The providing plate can be lifted from the base portion to show the food, located on top of the base portion and separated from the base portion on the display surface. The providing plate can be configured to have a particularly good quality in appearance, for example, an insert-in-mold label, which provides an impression of a high quality product, such as wood, stone, Or marble or porcelain or other display suitable for showing food, such as fruit, bread type, hub, etc., which may be formed directly from one of the above materials . The providing plate may be retrofitted and / or replaced so that, for example, one set comprising the base portion and the cover is combined with a plurality of providing plates having different designs to form a product You can also purchase it as a package. In addition, the providing plates may be purchased separately and may be combined with the shipping container in any manner. The providing plate may have a particular shape, for example, a shape for a muffin, for example, it may have a cutting groove for simply cutting a pie, An air hole may be formed in the surface to discharge downward.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a hollow space is formed between the providing plate and the base portion. Due to the hollow space, the presentation plane of the food arranged on the providing plate can be larger. However, the hollow space can be used to accommodate table cutlery, napkins, and decorations for food placed inside.

It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention described above can be practiced independently of each other, and can also be implemented in any combination with each other.

Further embodiments and modifications of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.

Now, the present invention will be described in more detail with respect to a representative embodiment. In the drawing:
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is an oblique view of a base portion with a cover positioned thereon as viewed from above,
Fig. 2 shows a food container having a cover fixed to the base portion in Fig. 1,
3 is a cross-sectional view of the food container shown in Fig. 2,
Figs. 4-6 are enlarged cross-sectional views of the fixed area showing the fixing sequence, Fig. 4 shows the fixing element in the open position, Fig. 5 shows the fixing element in the middle position and Fig. 6 shows the fixing element in the fixing position Show.

Fig. 1 shows a food container 2, which consists of a cover 6 and a base part 4 which can be placed substantially on top. The base portion 4 can be fixed with the cover 6 by means of the fixing elements 8 in order to prevent the cover 6 from being accidentally released during transport. Once rigidly secured, the food container 2 may be carried with a carry handle located on the cover 6.

In each case, the fastening elements 8 can be pivoted about the pivot pin 10. In order to pivot the stationary elements 8, the cover 6 is arranged on the first end of the stationary element 8 with an operating lug 18 located at the edge of the cover 6 of the bottom surface Down to their respective working surfaces 12. When the cover 6 is further lowered along the lowering path and is located in the receiving space 16, each of the working lugs 18 has an operating surface 12 of the stationary element 8 arranged in the receiving space 16 ). The downward movement of the actuating surface 12 at the first end of the stationary element 8 causes the stationary element to pivot about the pivot pin 10 and the second end of the stationary element from the open position And is pivoted and moved in the fixed position direction. When the cover 6 reaches the end position along the downward path with the operating lug 18, the respective pivoting movement about the pivot axis 10 causes the stationary elements 8 to move to the fixed position, (6) is prevented from accidentally being lifted from the base portion (4).

When the cover 6 is removed again from the base portion 4, the locking elements 8 should be gripped on the grip edge 20 and pulled radially outward. The cover 6 is lifted by the working surface 12 formed at the first end and after pivoting the securing element 8 from the fixed position, The cover can be easily detached from the base portion 4.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, an additional individual providing plate 22 is located above the actual base portion 4. The providing plate 22 may be lifted from the base portion 4 to provide food located in the providing plate 22 regardless of the base portion 4. [ The providing plate 22 is simple in shape and visually stricter than the base portion 4, and the fastening elements 8 are fixed to the base portion. The providing plate 22 may have additional functionality or decorative elements, such as an in-mold label or a cutting aid line in the surface, for example, to increase visibility.

In Fig. 2, the food container 2 is shown in a closed state. In Fig. 2, it can be seen that the fastening elements 8 surround the edge of the collar-shaped edge at the lower end of the cover 6 from the outside.

The details of the locking technology and the order of the locking process are shown in the enlarged cross-sectional view of Figs. 4-6. Figure 4 shows that the stationary element 8 is in the open position and in Figure 5 the stationary element 8 is pivotally rotated to the intermediate position and is finally in the stationary position in Figure 6. [

In the enlarged view of Figure 4, it can be seen that the actuating lugs 18 on the cover 6 act on the actuating surface 12 of the stationary element 8. The shape of the working lug 18 may be specially formed and it is also possible to use a suitable lower portion of the single lower peripheral edge of the cover 6 as the working lug 18, There is no need to have a special form. While the pivot pin 10 is fixedly connected to the base portion 4, the clamping element 8 having a clamped cross-section can be rotated about the pivot pin 10. The descending path through which the operating lug 18 is moved into the receiving space 16 is indicated by the dotted arrow in Fig. 4, the actuating lug 18 is located on the actuating surface 12 without the pivoting of the securing element 8 about the pivot pin 10. In this way, In the open position, the fixed body 14 of the stationary element 18 is pivotally rotated to a position remote from the cover 6.

The contact surfaces 26 are located in the stationary element 8 and the contact surfaces 26 in the fixed position can be brought into contact with the contact surfaces 28 on the cover 6, And thus may contact the contact surfaces 30 on the base portion 4.

4-6, the first end of the fastening element 8, formed as the working surface 12, fully protrudes into the receiving space 16 and reaches the lowering path of the operating lug 18 in the receiving space 16 do. 5 and 6, even in the fixed position, the working surface 12 is eventually reached in the downward path of the operating lug 18 in the receiving space 16.

The rotational movement in which the working surface 12 is rotated at the first end of the stationary element 8 and the stationary body 14 is rotated at the second end of the stationary element 8, And is indicated by an arrow in the form of an arc segment. The actuating surface 12 is moved substantially downward while the actuating lug 18 is lowered into the receiving space 16 and the securing body 14 is moved from its lateral position against the pivot pin 10 And is pivotally rotated to a position arranged on the pivot pin (10). The downward movement of the actuating lug 18 and its associated pivoting of the stationary element 8 can be clearly compared by comparing the positions of the corresponding elements in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

6, in the fixed position, it can be seen that the securing element 8 surrounds the lower and outer edges of the cover 6 from the outside to the second end. In this case, the fixing body 14 is at least partly joined to the outer edge of the cover 6 so that the cover can not be moved upward from the fixed position.

A grip edge 20 is formed in the stationary element 8 so that the stationary element 8 can be detached again from the stationary position shown in Fig. When the grip edge 20 is pulled in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 6, the fixed element 8 is pivoted again toward the open position.

In this exemplary embodiment, the latching lugs 32 are located in the stationary element 8 and the cover 6, and the latching lugs are coupled to each other in the stationary element 8 shown in Fig.

In Figures 4-6, in this exemplary embodiment, the operating lug 18 includes a lower end 34 of the protrusion 34 extending in the direction of the downward path and extending downwardly away from the lower peripheral edge of the cover 6, to be. In addition, the lower peripheral edge of the cover 6 with the stationary element 8 in the fixed region has a support projection 36 that extends exactly or nearly completely in the transverse direction with respect to the downward path. 6, the support protrusion 36, which extends precisely or substantially completely transversely with respect to the downward path, has an outwardly directed front surface 38, which is fixed to the fixed position of the cover 6 (Abut) against a portion of the base portion 4. The portion of the base portion 4 to which the front surface 38 abuts is connected to the pivot pin 10. It is particularly stable when the support projection 36 is fixedly secured to the front face 38 with respect to a portion of the base portion 4 in the region of the pivot pin 10, The cover 6 is fixedly connected to the base portion 4.

The contact surfaces 28 are also formed on the upper side of the support projection 36 and the contact surfaces 26 of the stationary element 8 are supported in a fixed position.

1 and 3, a receiving space 16 is formed to receive a projection 34 on the exterior of stationary elements 8 extending over the base portion 4. [ In this exemplary embodiment, in the fixed position of the cover 6, the support projection 36 in this region of the receiving space 16 is in contact with the inner face of the outer wall of the receiving space 16, and is supported by a front face. In addition, in the fixed position of the cover 6, the projections 34 in this region are supported on the lower side with respect to the base of the receiving space 16. [ The components of the cover 6 are supported in a number of ways relative to the corresponding surfaces of the base portion 4 so that each portion is firmly connected to the twist and is very stable.

4-6, it can be seen that the locking element 8 is connected to the pivot pin 10 by pivoting the latching device.

The above-described exemplary embodiments are merely examples for describing the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will be able to modify the above-described exemplary embodiments appropriately in order to practice the present invention.

Claims (10)

Characterized in that a fixing element (8) having a base part (4) in the form of a plate and a cover (6) which can be placed on the base part (4) and which can be moved by a fixed pivot pin (10) Wherein the base part (4) and the cover (6) are connected together by means of a stationary element (8), the stationary element (8) Each pivot pin 10 can be pivoted back and forth around the pin 10 and each pivot pin 10 is positioned between the ends of the stationary element 8, The first end is formed as the working surface 12 and the second end opposite the second end is formed as the fixing body 14 and the fixing element 8 in the fixed position with the fixing body 14 formed at the second end The cover 6 is prevented from being detached from the base portion 4 and the contact surface 26 formed in the fixing element 8 The stationary element 8 is mounted in the portable food container 2 which is non-positively and / or positively coupled with the corresponding contact surface 28 on the cover 6 in a fixed position, In this case,
The working surface 12 of each of the stationary elements 8 is formed in a pivot pin 10 facing inward towards the support surface of the base portion 4 and has at least a base portion (4) has a receiving space (16) in which a downwardly directed operating lug (18) formed on the edge of the cover (6) on the base side can descend into the receiving space (16) The first end of each of the fastening elements 8 formed as the first and second fastening elements 12 is sufficiently projected into the receiving space 16 from the open position to the fixed position to reach the receiving space 16 along the downward path of the operating lug 18 And the first end can be moved downward from the open position in the locked position by pivotal rotation about the pivot pin 10 and thereafter the working lug 18 collides against the working surface 12, (18) continues to descend along the descending path, The first end is moved from the open position to the lower position and the second end of the stationary element 8 is moved from the open position to the stationary position by the pivoting movement of the first end of each stationary element 8, (2). ≪ / RTI > 2. Portable food container (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the stationary element (8) in the fixed position surrounds the lower and outer edges of the cover (6) from the outside to the second end. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a grip edge (20) is formed at the second end of each stationary element (8), the stationary element (8) (2). ≪ / RTI > 4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the latching lugs (32) are formed in the cover (6) and / or the fixing element (8) Characterized in that the latching lug is engaged with a corresponding latching lug (32) of an adjacent component so that the locking element (8) is fixed in a positive position in a fixed position 2). 5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the working lug (18) comprises a protrusion (34) extending in the direction of the downward path and extending downwardly away from the lower peripheral edge of the cover And the lower peripheral edge of the cover 6 with the stationary element 8 in the fixed region has a support projection 36 which extends precisely or substantially completely in the transverse direction with respect to the descending path, The portion of the base portion 4 is in contact with the contact surface 28 formed on the upper side of the portion of the base portion and the pivot pin 10) and the contact surface (26) of the stationary element (8) is supported in a fixed position. 6. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the receiving space (16) is formed to receive a projection (34) on the exterior of the fixing elements (8) extending on the base part (4) In the fixed position of the cover 6, the support projection 36 is supported on the front surface with respect to the inner surface of the wall of the receiving space 16, Is supported on the lower side with respect to the base of the space (16). 7. Portable food container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the stationary element (8) is connected to the pivot pin (10) by means of a pivoting latching device formed in each stationary element (8) (2). 8. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the surface, cover (6) and / or base part (4) of the stationary element (8) (2). ≪ / RTI > 9. Portable food container (2) according to any one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a providing plate (22) detachably connected to the base part (4) is located on top of the base part (4) . 10. Portable food container (2) according to any one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a hollow space (24) is formed between the providing plate (22) and the base part (4).

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