Improved Container The present invention relates to an improved container for one or more items.
Although the following description refers to containers for food and drink type items, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention could be used to contain and transport other non-food based items and is not limited to food, drink and beverages.
The packaging for food items in containers which can be heated to thereby cook the contents is known. A particular problem with such containers is that the containers are not suitable, functionally or aesthetically, for serving and consuming the contents. Furthermore, such containers including two or more compartments is also known. For example, ready-made meals such as curries are packed in a container that typically includes a compartment for rice and a compartment for the curry. Once cooked, both the rice and the curry are normally combined on a plate or the contents combined in a single compartment.
The problems with this are that a considerable mess is created in transferring and mixing the foods. Furthermore, it is unlikely that any compartment will be large enough to accommodate the combined items. In addition, these types of containers are unsuitable for foodstuffs where it is desirable to mix the contents part way through the cooking process to combine flavours and the like as again the contents have to be transferred to a larger container. Providing at least one of the items in a larger compartment is undesirable as this increases the transport costs of the container and contents.
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide an iiiiproved container that addresses the abovementioned problems.
Tt is a further aim of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a container that addresses the abovementioned problems.
Tt is a yet further aim of the present invention to provide a method of combining one or more items in a container that addresses the abovementioned problems.
Tn a first aspect of the invention there is provided a container for food and/or beverage type items, said container at least partially defined by an outer wall, a foldable portion and a lid, at least a portion of the lid being removable to access the items contained therein in use and the container is convertible between a first substantially flattened storage or transport condition and a second in-use condition by manipulation of the foldable portion wherein the foldable portion forms one or more compartments inside the container when in the first condition.
Thus the container is substantially expandable when moved or manipulated to the second condition. Furthermore the container is substantially collapsible when moved or manipulated from the second condition to the first.
Typically the size of the container is increased or expanded in at least one dimension when moved from the first to the second condition. Further typically the foldable portion is collapsible such that the volume of the container is smaller in the first condition than the second.
lypically the foldable portion includes a number of members or walls that at least partially define the one or more compartments. Further typically the foldable members are connected or substantially attached by one or more flexible portions, fold-Unes and/or the like.
Thus items can be kept separate in different compartments inside a container when in the first condition and by manipu'ation of the container the contents can be mixed and/or a larger compartment formed.
in one embodiment the outer wall is located substantially around the periphery of the container in at east the first condition.
In one embodiment the foldable portion is located substantially between the outer wall.
In one embodiment the compartments are substantially concentric with the outer wall. Typically the outer wall is subs tantiallv circular or cylindrical.
In one embodiment at least part of the foldable portion and/or members are manipulated or moved to substantially extend the outer wall of the container in the second expanded in-use condition. Typically the foldable portion is manipulated or unfolded to increase the size of the compartments. I'urther typically the compartments are combined or consolidated by unfolding the foldable potion towards the second condition.
In one embodiment the foldable portion and/or members forming the same comprise a substantially resilient material.
Typically the material can be deformed by manipulation, applying pressure and or the like but at least the members retain substantially their original shape or form.
in one embodiment the foldable portion members form one or more ridges or inner walls when in at least the first condition.
Typically the foHable portion members thereby partition the inside of the container into two or more compartments when in at least the first condition. Further typically moving one or more members removes the partition and/or moves the container to the second condition.
in one embodiment the ridges abut and/or contact the lid in at least the first condition. Typicafly one or more of the ridges are attached and/or adhered to at least part of the lid.
In one embodiment at least part of the lid can be selectively removed. Typically at least part of the lid can be removed to open one or more compartments, leaving one or more compartments closed.
Typically once used, substantially empty and/or the contents accessed the container can be collapsed to aid disposal and/or storage.
In one embodiment the lid, or at least part thereof is detachably attached to at least part of the outer wall.
in one embodiment the container includes a base portion.
Typically the base portion is substantially centrally located.
In one embodiment the container is expanded or extended from the base potion by pulling the outer wall upwards, thereby expanding the container in a substantially vertical direction.
In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a container, said container including an outer wall, a foldable portion and a lid, at least a portion of the lid being removable to access the items contained therein in use and the container is convertibk between a first substantiafly flattened storage or transport condition and a second in-use condition container by manipulation of the foldable potion wherein the fodabe portion forms one or more compartments inside the container when in the first condition, said method including the step of; -substantially forming at least part of the container from plastics material.
Typically at least part of the foldable portion comprises plastics material.
In a third aspect of the invention there is provided method of combining one or more items in a container, said container including an outer wall, a foldable portion and a lid, at least a portion of the lid being removable to access the items contained therein in use and the container is convertible between a first substantially flattened storage or transport condition and a second in-use condition container by manipulation of the foldable potion wherein the foldable portion forms one or more compartments for location or separation of items inside the container when in the first condition, and the method includes the step of; -manipulating the foldable portion such that the contents of the compartments is combined.
Typically the foldable portion is at least partially unfolded and/or expanded to remove one or more of the partitions forming the compartment.
In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a collapsible container.
Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the foflowing figures wherein; Figures la and lb show cross sectional vie\vs through the side of a container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a container in the collapsed or storage condition; Figures 3a-3c show perspective views of a container being expanded in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figures 4a and 4b show cross sectional views through the side of a container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and Figures 5a-5c show show perspective views of a container being expanded in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
The present invention discloses a collapsible container, designed to contain beverage, food and non food products, sealed with a lid that is opened and popped up at point of use. When popped up the space created around the product allows the product to be prepared, dispensed or consumed from within the container.
As the void required to prepare the product (mix, microwave, rehydrate etc.) is created by the consumer at point of use as the container is popped up, the volume of the pack produced stored and transported through the suppliers network is minimised.
The walls of the collapsed container can be profiled to form one or more cells iito which single products or different component parts of a product can be filled. Once the lid is applied single or component parts of a product can be discretely separated, sealed and transported within the one container.
Turning to figure la where there is shown a cross section of a collapsible container 2 that indudes a hd 4. The container indudes a number of walls 6, 6', 6" that define a number of compartments or cells 8, 10 that contain different items. In this example cell 8 contains noodles and cell 10 contains sauce that are kept separate in this collapsed or storage condition/configuration. The container 2 can be expanded to an in-use bowl-like configuration by manipulating the walls to unfold the same and thereby create a larger single compartment as shown in figure lb and mixing the contents. The joints 12 between the walls comprise plastics material in this example.
The person skilled in the art will recognise that other materials, such as metal foil, could be suitable.
Furthermore, multipoint injection molding techniques allow containers such as this to be made from one or more plastic materials. It is now possible to form the wall of the container from one material and the part that flexes (the hinge) from something else. Typically the joints 12 are more flexible or malleable than the one or more materials comprising the walls 6, 6', 6". The expansion and mixing of the contents can be performed before or after cooking depending on whether or not it is desirable to mix the contents before or after cooking.
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the same container 2 with the lid 4 removed, wherein the shape of the container, defined by the outer wall 6 can be seen as well as the concentric or
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annular arrangement of the inner walls 6', 6" which define and partition the cells or compartments 8, 10. The inner walls are folded about joints 12 between the wall members in a concertina-like fashion such that the container is shorter along the central longitudinal axis of the container when in the collapsed storage arrangement than when in the longer expanded arrangement. To warm or cook the contents the container 2 can be placed in an oven, such as a microwave oven and/or the like.
Figures 3a-3b show how a substantiafly collapsed or flat configured container split into compartments can be expanded into a bowl or larger single container by moving and/or manipulation of the walls. in the collapsed or first storage configuration the container and therefore the contents are significantly less expensive to store and/or transport.
Although the present examples are circular or cylindrical containers, there person skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention could be applied to square or rectangular (cuboidal) containers.
Figures 4 and 5 show further examples of the invention wherein additional annular compartments 10', can be added by the inclusion of a pair of walls 6'",ó"" to form an additional partition or ridge 14. As such, compartments can be selectively combined to mix the contents at different stages or items that are substantially incompatible in storage can be kept separate until ready for use. Furthermore, a large container such as a bowl is formed from which the meal can be consumed. The container can then be collapsed for disposal, storage or reuse.