SMART DISPENSER PACKAGING SYSTEM
A food package having a base (12) forming a cavity (16) for holding a first food such as a salad, and having a cover or dome (14) that covers the base and that has recess walls that form a recess (32) in the cover top. The recess holds a fluid food (30) such as a salad dressing. A mechanism (22) that is manually operable from the outside the cover, releases the salad dressing. In one system, a top of the cover can be manually depressed to depress a button (60) on a lid (24) that lies under the recess to unlatch a lid side or end (50) so the lid can pivot down and release the salad dressing In another system, a person can depress a first side of the recess walls to open a first lid part (124, FIG. 11) that releases half the salad dressing, and can also depress a second side of the recess wall to open a second lid part (126) to release the other half of the dressing.
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/998,582 filed Nov. 30, 2007.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSome combinations of foods are best combined immediately before the combination is eaten. For example, it is often desirable to pour salad dressing onto a salad a short time (e.g. within one-half hour) before the salad is eaten, to prevent the salad from becoming “soggy”, or to pour ketchup onto French fries shortly before they are eaten. Also, it is often desirable to dispense syrup onto pancakes shortly before they are eaten. Some people prefer to not handle the salad dressing or other topping when it is poured onto the salad or other first food to avoid getting the dressing onto their hands, while others prefer to pour the dressing themselves. It is often desirable to package the salad dressing with the salad so the dressing is not forgotten.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with the present invention, a food package is provided which includes a base that forms a cavity to hold a first food such as a salad, and a cover or dome that covers the base, wherein the cover has a recess that holds a fluid second food such as salad dressing. The food package also includes a release mechanism that is operable from the outside of the cover, to release the salad dressing.
In one food package, the mechanism includes a lid that lies under the recess in the cover, and that has a first lid side that is pivotally mounted on the cover and a second lid side that is latched in an upward position wherein it prevents the release of the salad dressing. When the release mechanism is operated, the lid second side is unlatched so the lid can pivot down and the salad dressing can flow down onto the salad.
In another food package, the lid includes first and second lid parts that each lies under a separate quantity of only one-half of the salad dressing. Operating one side of the release mechanism releases only a first lid part to release only one-half of the salad dressing. Also operating a second side of the release mechanism also releases a second half of the salad dressing.
In another food package, the salad dressing is contained in a cup that is held to the top of the inside of the cover. When the mechanism is operated, the cup is released to fall onto the salad, or onto a table if the dome has first been removed from the base. A person then peels off a film on the cup and pours the salad dressing by hand onto the salad.
In another food package, the salad dressing is contained in a cup that lies upside down and is held to the top of the inside of the cover. When the mechanism is operated, it peels away part of a film lid that originally closed the cup, thereby allowing salad dressing to flow down onto the salad.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
As also shown in
As discussed above, a person releases salad dressing by depressing a depressable cover part at 62 (
The recess walls 34 (
To dispense salad dressing, a person depresses one or both of the posts 120, 122. In
Thus, the invention provides food packages that facilitate the dispensing of a fluid second food such as salad dressing, onto a first food lying in the base cavity such as a salad. The salad dressing is held in a recess at the inside of the top of the dome of the cover, and a mechanism is operated to release the dressing. In one system, the mechanism includes a post which is manually depressed to depress a lid or one of a plurality of lid parts to release the dressing. In another system a cup the holds salad dressing is released to fall, so its peelable layer can be removed and the dressing manually applied to the salad. In another system, the cup is mounted upside down in the top of the dome and the peelable layer can be peeled open while the dome remains on the base.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.
Claims
1. A food package which includes a base forming a base cavity for holding a first food, and a cover that releasably covers the base cavity, wherein:
- said cover has recess walls that form a recess that holds a flowable second food;
- a mechanism that is manually operable from the outside of the cover, to release said flowable second food to fall out of said recess into said cavity and onto said first food in said cavity.
2. The food package described in claim 1 wherein:
- said recess opens downwardly, and said mechanism comprises a lid that is pivotally mounted on said recess walls and that lies under said recess and closes said recess, and said mechanism is manually operable to pivotally open said lid and enable said flowable second food to flow down out of said recess onto said first food in said cavity.
3. The food package described in claim 2 wherein:
- said lid has a mounted end (40) that is pivotal about a horizontal axis on said cover, said lid has a second end (50) that moves primarily vertically when said mounted end pivots, and said lid has an upper surface with said mechanism holding said lid upper surface so it initially extends at a downward incline of a plurality of degrees toward said lid second end when said lid closes said recess.
4. The food package described in claim 2 wherein:
- said lid has first and second opposite sides, said first side being pivotally mounted on said cover and said second side being releasably latched in an upward position to said cover wherein said lid closes a bottom of said recess, said second side moving down to release said fluid second food when said second side is unlatched;
- said lid has a lid button that extends upward from said lid through said cavity to a top of said recess, said button being depressable to unlatch said lid second side from said cover so said lid second side can pivot down.
5. The food package described in claim 3 wherein:
- said cover has a cover push part (62) lying over said lid button, said cover push part being depressable to depress said lid button;
- said cover has a top with a radially outer portion that extends around said lid button and said cover has an annular recess (72, 70) in its upper surface that lies between said push button region and said outer region, whereby to facilitate downward deflection of said outer portion and therefore said lid button.
6. The food package described in claim 1 including:
- a cup assembly comprising a cup forming a cup cavity and also comprising a removable cup covering, said cup assembly mounted in said cover recess with said cup covering lowermost;
- said mechanism is constructed to at least partially remove said cup covering from said cup, to thereby allow said flowable second food to fall onto said first food in said base hollow.
7. The food package described in claim 6 wherein said removeable cup covering is a peelable sheet that is peelable off a top of said cup, and wherein:
- said mechanism comprises means responsive to operation of said mechanism for peeling off a portion of said cup cover.
8. The food package described in claim 1 wherein:
- said recess has first and second horizontally spaced and separated regions and said mechanism has first and second lid parts (124, 126) that each covers only one of said regions, said mechanism being operable to open only a selected one of said lid parts, to thereby dispense only part of said second food.
9. A food package which includes a base that forms a base cavity that holds a first food, and a cover that releasably covers the base cavity, wherein:
- said cover has recess walls that form a downward-opening recess that holds a flowable topping for applying to said first food;
- a mechanism that includes a lid that is mounted on said cover and that is moveable from a raised position wherein it closes the bottom of said recess, to a depressed position wherein the lid part releases said topping to fall onto the first food in said base cavity;
- said lid has a first end that is pivotally mounted on said cover, and said lid has a second end with a first latching part;
- said cover forms a second latching part;
- one of said latching, parts forms an undercut (52) and the other latching part (53) forms a protrusion that fits into the undercut.
10. The food package described in claim 9, wherein:
- said undercut forms a continuous curve that is free of steps.
11. The food package described in claim 9 wherein:
- said cover forms a push button that has a depressing part that is depressable from a top of said dome and including a vertical extension that extends through said recess to an upper face of said lid part with said depressing part being depressable to move down said lid part second end and unlatch said lid part from said dome.
12. The food package described in claim 9 wherein:
- said recess has first and second recess parts that each holds an isolated quantity of said salad dressing with each isolated quantity isolated from the other quantity;
- said lid forms first and second lid parts that lie under different ones of said recess parts, with each lid part having a first end pivotally connected to said dome and a second end that is releasably latchable to said dome;
- means for depressing a selected one of said lid parts to control the application of said salad dressing onto said salad.
13. A food package which includes a base forming a base cavity for holding a first food, and a cover that releasably covers the base cavity, wherein:
- said cover has recess walls that form a recess that opens downward and that holds a fluid second food; and including
- a lid that is pivotally mounted on said recess walls and that lies under said recess and closes said recess, said lid having a depressable lid part;
- a mechanism that is manually operable by moving a moveably cover surface on the outside of the cover, to pivot open said lid and release said flowable second food to fall out of said recess into said cavity and onto said first food in said cavity, said mechanism including means forming a vertical extension (60, 120, 122) that extends from the height of said moveable cover part to the height of said depressable lid part.
14. The food package described in claim 13 wherein:
- said lid part has a pivotal end and an opposite lid latchable part, and said cover has a cover latch part (51) that holds said lid part latchable end from moving downward, one of said latchable parts forming an undercut and the other forming a protrusion that fits into the undercut.
15. The food package described in claim 13 wherein:
- said lid includes a plate lying a distance below said moveable cover surface, and including a vertical extension (60, 120, 122) that has a vertical height more than twice said plate thickness, extending between said cover and said lid.
16. The food package describe in claim 13 wherein:
- said means forming a vertical extension forms a primarily vertical post (120, 122) with an upper end that is joined to said cover by a plurality of reverse bends (140) that extends in rings around an upper end of said post.
17. A food package which includes a base forming a base cavity for holding a first food, and a cover that releasably covers the base cavity and that includes a cover mount (42), wherein:
- said cover has recess walls that form a recess that holds a flowable second food and that has a recess open lower end; and including
- a lid that lies under said recess open lower end to close it, said lid having a lid first part (41) that is pivotal on said cover and a lid second part (50) that is latchable to said cover to keep said recess closed until said lid second part is unlatched;
- said lid having a fixed end (40) that is fixed to said cover mount (42) and said lid having a plurality of bends of at least 90° each (200-210) that join said lid second end to said lid second part to allow said lid second part to pivot.
18. The food package described in claim 17 wherein:
- said lid fixed end (40) and said cover mount (42) are formed with one having an enlargement and the other being captured by said enlargement.
19. A food package which includes a base forming a base cavity for holding a first food, and a cover that releasably covers the base cavity, wherein:
- said cover has an upper part (102) and a cover mount (104) that form a plurality of recess regions (112, 116) between them that hold a second food, said cover mount having a plurality of lid parts (124, 126) that each closes a bottom of a selected one of said recesses;
- means manually operable from said cover upper part for opening a selected one of said lid parts to dispense the contents of only one of said recess regions onto said first food.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 4, 2008
Publication Date: Jun 11, 2009
Inventor: Terry Vovan (Upland, CA)
Application Number: 12/328,686
International Classification: A47G 19/00 (20060101); B65D 43/00 (20060101); B65D 25/08 (20060101);