US20040144785A1

US20040144785A1 - Spill-free snack container

Info

Publication number: US20040144785A1
Application number: US10/350,578
Authority: US
Inventors: James Braswell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-01-24
Filing date: 2003-01-24
Publication date: 2004-07-29

Abstract

An improved spill-free snack container comprising a container, open ended container top, and closure device. The container has a circular container base with a cylindrical shaped sidewall. The circular container top is downwardly dished with an opening that accommodates a human hand. The sidewall exhibits a snack fill line for spill-free snack performance. The container top allows easy access to foodstuffs in the container. When the container is inverted, the container top and container's upper portion trap foodstuffs. A slide base, slide, and slide top provide a closure to the container top when the container is inverted or shaken. The combination of the container top and the sliding closure device prevents foodstuff spillage when the container is tilted; inverted slowly; inverted quickly; or shaken in the sideways, upright, or inverted positions. A top lid and bottom lid preserve freshness of foodstuffs when the container is not in use.

Description

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates generally to spill-free containers, specifically to spill-free snack containers primarily for use by, but not limited to, small children.

BACKGROUND

2. Discussion of Prior Art

Many types of containers and closures are well known in the prior art. For example, a cylindrical container with a screw on or snap on lid has been used to store a variety of items. However, these screw on and snap on lids exhibit a significant disadvantage. When the container is opened to gain access to the contents, the contents may spill through the open end of the container. While this problem may be considered an inconvenience by adults, the problem is significant when the container is primarily intended for use by small children.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,174 to Williams (1987) discloses a spill-proof container, primarily for use by children. The container has a hollow interior between its interior surfaces. The cover includes a centrally located tubular portion which extends downwardly into the container. The tubular portion is wide enough to accommodate a small child's hand. The bottom portion of the tubular portion is separated from the container base to allow access to the hollow interior of the container. The top of the tubular portion can also be sealed with a lid to preserve freshness of the contents when the container is not in use. The container is easy to clean. The container also allows visual access to foodstuffs in the container. The container is considered spill-proof when tilted or inverted. However, the container is spill-proof only when tilted or inverted slowly. If the container is inverted quickly, shaken sideways, shaken in the upright position or shaken in the inverted position, spillage can result which is an undesirable result.

For other examples of spill-proof containers that use covers with centrally located tubular-like portions which extend downwardly into the container, see U.S. Pat. No. 618,624 to Stanek (1899); U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,138 B1 to Schramm (2002); and British Patent Specification 1,428,356 to Hunter (1976). As these patents appear to be non-analogous art, they do not address the disadvantages listed in the “U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,174 to Williams” paragraph above. U.S. Pat. No. 618,624; U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,138 B1; and British Patent Specification 1,428,356 may be adequate for their intended use, but they do not solve the problem of a spill-free snack container.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,904 to Iverson (1982) discloses a spill-proof container and closure for use by small children. The spill-proof container's lid incorporates a plurality of overlapping flexible flaps, which are resilient in nature and provide a closure for the container. A user gains access to container contents with a hand by penetrating the approximate center of the overlapping flap closure. When the hand is removed from the container, the overlapping flap closure forms a seal to prevent spillage of the contents. However, when a child uses this spill-proof container several significant disadvantages exist. First, if a child learns that the flexible flaps push inward, a child will discover that the flexible flaps pull outward, which will result in spillage of the contents. Second, the overlapping flexible flaps present a barrier that a child may not overcome. Further, when a child begins to penetrate the overlapping flap closure with a hand, the child may feel the hand is being trapped by the flaps, causing the child to remove the hand without retrieving any snacks. Also, if a child were to vigorously shake the snack container, spillage could result.

For other examples of spill-proof containers that use a plurality of overlapping flexible flaps, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,927 to Kulhman (1964), U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,717 to Bussard et al. (1989), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,384 B1 to Voloshin (2001). None of these patents address the disadvantages listed in the “U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,904 to Iverson” paragraph above.

BACKGROUND—OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the current invention are:

(a) to provide a spill-free snack container, primarily for use by small children, that does not spill when tilted or inverted slowly and rarely spills when inverted quickly, shaken in the upright position, shaken sideways, or shaken in the inverted position;

(b) to provide a spill-free snack container with easy access to the foodstuffs in the container;

(c) to provide a spill-free snack container that virtually prohibits a child from forcibly spilling the contents; and

(d) to provide a spill-free snack container that is transparent for easy visual access of the foodstuffs in the container.

Other objects and advantages are to provide a spill-free snack container that is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, safe to use, easy to clean, lightweight, and efficient in operation. The spill-free snack container may be made disposable or durable depending on the thickness of the container and related components. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing discussion.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention a spill-free snack container comprising a container, an open ended downwardly dished container top, and a closure device which utilizes natural forces to cover the open ended container top when the container is inverted or shaken to prevent foodstuff spillage. When the container is in the inverted position, the upper end of the container and the container top provide a foodstuff storage area.

DRAWINGS—DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the preferred embodiment of a spill-free snack container with the front section cut away. [0018]
FIG. 2 is a section view of the preferred embodiment of a spill-free snack container. [0019]
FIG. 3 is an inverted section view of FIG. 2. [0020]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a top lid of a spill-free snack container. [0021]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bottom lid of a spill-free snack container. [0022]
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an additional embodiment of a spill-free snack container with an alternative closure means. [0023]
FIG. 7 is an inverted sectional view of FIG. 6.[0024]

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

Lower case letters follow the reference numerals as needed to differentiate similar parts.



	28. Container	30. Container Top
	32. Inverted Cone	34. Cylinder Lip
	35. Handle	36. Slide Base
	38. Slide	40. Slide Top
	42. Annular Lip	44. Sidewall
	46. Container Base	48. Sidewall Extension
	49. Snack Fill Line	50. Top Lid
	51. Bottom Lid	52. Rim Element
	54. Top Attachment Arm	56. Closure Element Support
	58. Closure Element	60. Hinge

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT, FIGS. 1-5

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a spill-free snack container. The front section is cut away for easy viewing of container contents. The invention measurement specifications that follow assume the user is a small child with a hand width of approximately 5.2 cm. The measurements can be increased or decreased proportionately to accommodate different hand widths. All edges are rounded and smooth for child safety. [0026]
A [0027] circular container top 30 is comprised of a downwardly dished inverted cone 32, a cylindrical lip 34 and an annular lip 42. The bottom portion of inverted cone 32 and cylindrical lip 34 form an opening into an open ended, cylindrical shaped container 28. Container top 30 is made of molded transparent plastic with an approximate thickness of 0.8 mm to 2.0 mm. The diameter of container top 30 is approximately 10.2 cm. The inverted cone 32 portion of container top 30 extends downwardly into container 28 with a depth of approximately 2.6 cm. The bottom portion of inverted cone 32 extends into cylindrical lip 34. Cylindrical lip 34 extends downwardly into container 28 for approximately 6 mm. The diameter of cylindrical lip 34 is approximately 5.7 cm which corresponds to the width of the opening in container top 30. The annular lip 42 with an approximate height of 3 mm surrounds the outer top portion of container top 30. The container top 30 attaches to container 28.
[0028] Container 28 is made of the same molded transparent plastic as container top 30. Container 28 has a sidewall 44, a container base 46, a sidewall extension 48, a slide base 36, a snack fill line 49, and a handle 35. Sidewall 44, container base 46, sidewall extension 48, and slide base 36 are approximately 0.8 mm to 2.0 mm thick. The height of sidewall 44 from container base 46 to the top of container 28 is approximately 10.5 cm. The height of sidewall extension 48 from the bottom of container 28 to container base 46 is approximately 2.6 cm. The diameter of the circular container base 46 is approximately 10.2 cm. Cylindrical shaped slide base 36 is a molded portion of container base 46. Slide base 36 is located at the center of container base 46 and is hollow and open ended at both ends with an approximate diameter of 3.5 cm and height of 2.6 cm. Attached to sidewall 44 of container 28 is handle 35 that accommodates a small child's hand. Also included on sidewall 44 is a snack fill line 49.
A [0029] slide 38 and slide top 40 are the remaining elements of FIG. 1 and are made of the same molded transparent plastic as container top 30 and container 28. The cylindrical shaped slide 38 is approximately 3.3 cm in diameter with a height of 5.2 cm. The slide top 40 has a slightly curved surface and is a molded part of slide 38 with an approximate diameter of 5.7 cm.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the spill-free snack container. Reference numerals and descriptions are the same as FIG. 1. The section view accommodates the operation discussion that follows and directly corresponds to FIG. 3. [0030]
FIG. 3 is an inverted section view of the spill-free snack container. Reference numerals and descriptions are the same as FIG. 1. The section view accommodates the operation discussion that follows and directly corresponds to FIG. 2. [0031]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a top lid of the spill-free snack container. A circular [0032] top lid 50 is made of a flexible plastic and is approximately 10.2 cm in diameter. Top lid 50 contains a rim element 52 which extends downwardly approximately 3 mm.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bottom lid of the spill-free snack container. A [0033] circular bottom lid 51 is made of a flexible plastic and is approximately 10.2 cm in diameter. Bottom lid 51 contains a rim element 52 a which extends upwardly approximately 3 mm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—OPERATION—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT, FIGS. 1-5

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict the invention in the upright position. [0034] Container top 30 is designed for ease of access to foodstuffs (not shown in drawings) when container 28 is upright and to trap foodstuffs when container 28 is inverted as depicted in FIG. 3. The inverted cone 32 portion of container top 30 allows easy access to foodstuffs within an upright container 28. The foodstuffs would be located at the bottom of an upright container 28 surrounding slide base 36 and slide 38. When container 28 is inverted, as in FIG. 3, the upper portion of container 28 in combination with the inverted cone 32 and cylinder lip 34 portions of container top 30 provide adequate storage for the foodstuffs. Container top 30 attaches to container 28 by screw-on or other locking means.
Referencing FIGS. [0035] 1-3, open ended container 28 is defined by cylindrical sidewall 44 and container base 46. Cylindrical sidewall extension 48 continues downward past container base 46. Container base 46 includes cylindrical hollow slide base 36 that is open ended at both ends and centrally located on container base 46. This slide base 36 holds a cylindrical slide 38. Slide 38 includes a slide top 40, which has a slightly curved spherical top so foodstuffs cannot come to rest on top of slide top 40. The height of cylindrical slide 38 is approximately twice the height of slide base 36. When slide 38 is inserted down through slide base 36 (already the case in FIGS. 1-3), slide 38 passes beyond container base 46 so that the bottom portion of slide 38 protrudes from container base 46 the same length as sidewall extension 48. When container 28 is in the upright position, slide 38 is at rest. The distance between the bottom of cylinder lip 34 of container top 30 and the top of slide top 40 is approximately 4.8 cm, which allows easy access to foodstuffs that surround slide 38 and slide base 36. When container 28 is inverted as in FIG. 3, slide 38 utilizes gravity to extend, and slide top 40 forms a closure of the hole in container top 30. The extended slide 38 and slide top 40 ensure that no spillage of foodstuffs occurs, especially when container 28 is inverted quickly, shaken in the upright position, shaken in the inverted position, or shaken sideways. Once container 28 is inverted and slide 38 extended, the foodstuffs are trapped by the inverted cone 32 and cylinder lip 34 portions of container top 30. When container 28 is returned to the upright position, slide 38 returns to the resting position, and the foodstuffs fall to container base 46 surrounding slide base 36. Sidewall 44 of container 28 includes a snack fill line 49 which approximates the height of slide base 36 to ensure spill-free operational effectiveness. Also a molded part of sidewall 44 is handle 35 which assists a young child in holding container 28. From the description section above, the thickness of container top 30, sidewall 44, container base 46, sidewall extension 48, and slide base 36 approximates 0.8 mm to 2.0 mm. The narrower end of the range accommodates a disposable spill-free snack container while the wider end of the range pertains to a durable spill-free snack container.
FIGS. 4 and 5 are container lids utilized when the spill-free snack container is not in use to maintain the freshness of the foodstuffs in [0036] container 28. FIG. 4 shows top lid 50, which utilizes rim element 52 to snap onto the annular lip 42 portion of container top 30 in FIGS. 1-3. FIG. 5 shows bottom lid 51, which utilizes rim element 52 a to snap onto the bottom portion of sidewall extension 48 in FIGS. 1-3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—ADVANTAGES—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT, FIGS. 1-5

Several advantages of the spill-free snack container are as follows: [0037]
(a) The combination of [0038] container top 30 with a sliding closure device significantly improves the performance of spill-free snack containers.
(b) The spill-free snack container is inexpensive to manufacture since it is made of inexpensive plastic utilizing a relatively inexpensive mold injection manufacturing process. [0039]
(c) The transparent plastic allows for easy visual recognition of foodstuffs in [0040] container 28.
(d) The hole in [0041] container top 30 allows for easy visual recognition of foodstuffs in container 28 as well.
(e) The spill-free snack container is simple in design and lightweight, which makes it easy to use, with just three operational pieces, the [0042] container top 30, the container 28, and the slide 38.
(f) The three operational pieces, the [0043] container top 30, the container 28, and the slide 38 separate easily for cleaning purposes.
(g) The spill-free snack container is safe to use since the three operational pieces, the [0044] container top 30, the container 28, and the slide 38 are relatively large compared to a child's mouth and all the edges are rounded and smooth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—ALTERNATIVE CLOSURE EMBODIMENT, FIGS. 6 AND 7

FIGS. 6 and 7 present an alternative closure embodiment for a spill-free snack container. Although all reference numerals are shown in the drawings, identical component parts previously discussed in the preferred embodiment will not be discussed for FIGS. 6 and 7. Reference numbers for similar parts are followed by lower case letters in FIGS. 6 and 7, but the materials used, component part thickness, and other dimensions of the base reference numerals are the same as the preferred embodiment unless otherwise noted. [0045]
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the alternative embodiment of the spill-free snack container. An open ended container [0046] 28 a is attached to container top 30 a. The primary difference in container top 30 a from the preferred embodiment is the inclusion of a top attachment arm 54, a closure element support 56, a closure element 58, and a hinge 60. Top attachment arm 54 is a molded part of container top 30 a. Top attachment arm 54 is attached to inverted cone 32 approximately 3 mm from cylinder lip 34. Top attachment arm 54 is approximately 2 mm in length, 2 mm in width, and 1 cm in height so that the bottom portion of top attachment arm 54 is even with the bottom of cylinder lip 34. Closure element support 56 is a molded part of the bottom portion of top attachment arm 54. In the two dimensional section view, closure element support 56 is triangular in shape. The side of closure element support 56 that faces closure element 58 is rectangular in shape with an approximate width of 4 mm and length of 7 mm. Closure element support 56 angles in slightly toward the center of container 28 a. Circular shaped closure element 58 is attached to a hinge 60. Closure element 58 is approximately 1 mm thick and 5.2 cm in diameter. The hinge 60 is also attached to the bottom inner portion of top attachment arm 54. A circular container base 46 a is flat and solid with an approximate diameter of 10.2 cm.
FIG. 7 is an inverted sectional view of FIG. 6 and will be discussed in the operation section below. [0047]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—OPERATION—ALTERNATIVE CLOSURE EMBODIMENT, FIGS. 6 AND 7

Referencing FIG. 6, the spill-free snack container with the alternative closure embodiment is shown in the upright position. Container top [0048] 30 a is designed for ease of access to foodstuffs when container 28 a is upright and to trap foodstuffs when container 28 a is inverted as depicted in FIG. 7. In FIGS. 6 and 7, container top 30 a includes closure element 58, which is at rest when container 28 a is in the upright position. When container 28 a is inverted, the hinge 60 and slightly inwardly angled closure element support 56 allow closure element 58 to utilize gravity in providing a closure to the open end of container top 30 a. This closure ensures that foodstuffs will not spill when container 28 a is inverted, inverted quickly, tilted, shaken sideways, shaken in the upright position, or shaken in the inverted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the reader will see that the invention's containers, open ended container tops, and closure devices provide nearly perfect spill-free snack containers, primarily for use by small children. The closure devices utilize natural forces to provide a closure to the open end of the container tops when the containers are inverted or shaken. The containers will not spill snacks when accidentally tilted or inverted. The containers rarely spill snacks if a child tries to forcibly spill snacks by quickly inverting the containers, shaking the containers sideways, shaking the containers in the upright position, or shaking the containers in the inverted position. Since the containers are constructed of transparent plastic, the child has easy visual access to foodstuffs within the containers. The open ended container tops presented allow for easy access to foodstuffs within the containers. A spill-free snack container will save on a child's snack expense and a parent's clean up time. Additional advantages are to provide a spill-free snack container that is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, safe to use, easy to clean, lightweight, and efficient in operation. The spill-free snack container can be made disposable or durable depending on the thickness of the container and related parts. [0049]
While the above description contains many specifications, these specifications should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification, a preferred embodiment, or an alternative embodiment thereof. For example, in the preferred embodiment, the slide and slide base are two components. The slide and slide base could be three or more components forming a telescoping slide. Furthermore the slide could be housed around the slide base instead of being housed within the slide base. Also, the container top could be strictly an inverted cone without a cylinder lip. The container top could contain a centrally located column-like cylinder that extends down into the container approximately one-quarter the depth of the container. For another example, the additional embodiment presented could utilize two or more closure devices. The closure device(s) could be attached to the sidewall, cylinder lip, or container base. [0050]
Considering both the preferred and alternative embodiments presented, the material used should not be limited to transparent plastic. The shape of the container should not be limited to a cylinder. The shape of component parts should not be limited to their exact description in the specification because slight alterations may improve operational effectiveness. The size of the container could be altered proportionately to accommodate different hand sizes. [0051]
Additionally, other alternative closure devices could be employed. One such additional embodiment utilizes a rectangular shaped container and container top. The container top is open ended and downwardly dished as in the preferred embodiment. Two hinged closure elements are attached to the outside of the container top. These closure elements lie flush against the two longer edges of the downwardly dished rectangular container top. The closure elements extend approximately half way down the container top. When the container is upright, the closure elements lie at rest. When the container is inverted, the closure elements extend to form a closure, which is on the outside of the container top. Other closure devices could be used including those using a power source other than natural forces. Any power source used other than natural forces, unnecessarily increases the cost of a spill-free snack container. Any other devices utilizing natural forces to provide a closure should be considered a violation of the spirit of this invention. [0052]
Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. [0053]

Claims

I claim:

1. A spill-free snack container comprising:

(a) a container including a container base and a sidewall attached around said container base, said container including an open end opposite said container base;

(b) a container top with a downwardly dished opening large enough to accommodate a human hand, said container top attaching to said open end of said container, and said downwardly dished opening extending approximately one quarter of said container's depth; and

(c) a closure means in conjunction with said container top, said closure means activated when said container is inverted or shaken, whereby providing said closure means to said downwardly dished opening of said container top thus preventing spillage of foodstuffs with said container top and upper portion of said container providing storage of foodstuffs when said container is inverted.

2. The spill-free snack container of claim 1, wherein said closure means comprises a slide device, which upon inversion or shaking of said container, said slide device extends to form said closure means to said downwardly dished opening of said container top.

3. The spill-free snack container of claim 1, wherein said closure means comprises a hinged closure device, which upon inversion or shaking of said container, said hinged closure device forms said closure means to said downwardly dished opening of said container top.

4. [0042] A spill-free snack container comprising:

(a) a container top with a downwardly dished surface extending to an opening large enough to accommodate a human hand;

(b) a container comprised of a sidewall and a container base, said sidewall attached around said container base, said container including an open end opposite said container base, and said open end of said container attaching to said container top with said downwardly dished surface of said container top extending approximately one quarter of said container's depth; and

(c) a closure device selected from the group consisting of slide and hinged closure devices, said closure device engaging when said container is inverted or shaken, whereby providing closure to said opening of said container top preventing spillage of foodstuffs, with said container top and upper part of said container providing a storage area for foodstuffs when said container is inverted.