APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING FRESHNESS IN A PACKAGED PRODUCT

Abstract

A device for maintaining freshness in a packaged consumable product, which includes multiple portions of the consumable product, includes a container defining an interior and having an opening, a closure that can be mounted to the container and is configured to move between an opened position that allows access to the interior of the container and a closed position where the closure closes and seals the opening.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/449,343, filed Mar. 4, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Food and other perishable items can be packaged such that the consumable product within the package can be enough for several uses or servings and thus can be used over a period of time. After contemporary product packages are opened for the first time they normally cannot be sealed properly and the product inside can be wasted or its quality and freshness can be reduced due to humidity in the air. Several attempts have been made to provide sealing means for such consumable packages such as closures or clips and stickers for soft bags and tacked tabs for carton bags; however, these can often be cumbersome and cannot properly seal the product

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, a device for maintaining freshness of a consumable product provided in an original package, which includes multiple portions of the consumable product includes a container sized to fit within the original package of the consumable product and defining an interior and having an opening, a closure having an access door mounted thereto, the access door movable with respect to the closure between a closed position and an open position, wherein the closure is associated with the opening of the container and is positionable between a first position wherein the closure closes the opening when the access door is in the closed position and a second interior fill position wherein the consumable product can be placed into the interior, and a guide operably coupled to the access door and moveable with the access door between a stored position when the access door is in the closed position and a dispensing position when the access door is in the open position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art consumable product.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a device, for maintaining freshness in a consumable product according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 2 with an access door in a closed position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 2 with the access door in an opened condition.

FIG. 5 is a blown-up view of a portion of the device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a device, for maintaining freshness in a consumable product, according to a second embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a prior art consumable product 2. The consumable product 2 includes an original package 4, such as a cardboard or paperboard box, which can include various indicia 6. Such indicia 6 can include product information such as an expiration date and nutritional information and can also include various pictures and games. A plastic bag 8 can contain a consumable product (not shown) and can be sealed and included in the original package 4 for purchase by a user. The plastic bag 8 can be of the type that can be opened after purchase such that the consumable product can be dispensed from the bag when a user desires to consume the product.

Embodiments of the invention include a device to allow a user to maintain freshness of the consumable product, easily dispense the consumable product, and if desired utilize the original box. FIG. 2 illustrates a device 10 for maintaining freshness in a packaged consumable product, which includes multiple portions of the consumable product according to a first embodiment of the invention. A container 12, a closure 14, and a guide 16 are illustrated as being included in the device 10. The container 12 can be sized to fit within the original package 4 of the consumable product 2 so that the exterior surface of the original package 4 of the consumable product 2 can be viewed by a user of the container 12. The container 12 can take varying forms, and can include a bottom wall 18 integrally attached with a side wall 20. A portion 21 of the side wall 20 can be ramped to aid in dispensing of a consumable product located within the interior 22. A guide receptacle 70 having a track 72 can also be included in the interior 22 of the container 12.

The container 12 can define an interior 22 and an upper portion 24 of the side wall 20 can define an opening 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper portion 24 of the sidewall 20 includes an annular rim 28, which surrounds and defines the opening 26. A downturned lip 29 can surround a periphery of the opening 26.

The closure 14 can be mounted to the container 12 in any suitable manner. For example, the closure 14 can be capable of being operably coupled to the rim 28 of the container 12. More specifically, the closure 14 is illustrated as having a central section 30 and an outer rim 32 attachable to the rim 28 of the container 12. The outer rim 32 of the closure 14 includes an annular clamping section 34 defined by a spaced inner and outer walls 36 and 38 for receiving the rim 28 of the container 12 in the space 40 between the inner and outer walls 36 and 38. The annular clamping section 34 of the closure 14 can be integrally joined to the central section 30 of the closure 14. The annular clamping section 34 can be shaped or angled so as to firmly engage the rim 28 of the container 12 when the annular clamping section 34 of the closure 14 is applied to the rim 28 of the container 12. To the extent that the inference fit between the annular clamping section 34 and the rim 28 do not provide enough frictional interengagement to maintain the closure 14 on the rim 28 during use, the closure 14 may also include an additional latching mechanism (not shown) to hold the closure 14 onto the rim 28 of the container 12 once the closure 14 is mounted to the rim 28 of the container 12. Any suitable latching mechanism may be used to retain the closure 14 on the rim 28.

An access door 42 can be mounted to the closure 14 and can be movable with respect to the closure 14. A hinge 44 or other mechanism can be provided between the access door 42 and the closure 14 to create a moveable mounting between the access door 42 and the closure 14. The access door 42 can also include an outer rim 45 attachable to the rim 28 of the container 12. The outer rim 45 like the outer rim 32 of the closure 14 can include an annular clamping section 46 defined by spaced inner and outer walls 47 and 48 for receiving the rim 28 of the container 12 in the space 49 between the inner and outer walls 47 and 48. The annular clamping section 46 can be shaped or angled so as to firmly engage the rim 28 of the container 12 when the annular clamping section 46 of the access door 42 is sealingly mounted to the rim 28 of the container 12. In this manner, the container 12 can include a first sealing surface and the closure 14 and access door 42 can collectively include a second sealing surface that mates with the first sealing surface when the closure 14 and the access door are in the closed position.

The guide 16 can be formed in any suitable manner for aiding in the dispensing of the consumable product and has been illustrated as including a body 50 having a first shoulder 52 and a second shoulder 54. The guide 16 can include at least one protrusion 56 at a distal end 58 thereof A protrusion 56 has been illustrated as being located on each of the distal ends 58. The protrusion 56 can be sized to fit within the track 72 of the guide receptacle 70.

The guide 16 can be operably coupled to the access door 42 and moveable with the access door 42. For example, the operable coupling of the guide 16 to the access door 42 can include a mechanical coupling that converts movement of the access door 42 to movement of the guide 16. The mechanical coupling can include any suitable mechanical coupling for converting movement of the access door 42 into movement of the guide 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the mechanical coupling includes at least a portion of a spur gear 60 located on the access door 42 and at least a portion of rack gear 62 mounted on the guide 16. Alternatively, at least a portion of a spur gear can be located on the guide 16 and the rack gear can be mounted on the access door 42. The portion of the spur gear 60 and the portion of the rack gear 62 can be molded or otherwise mounted or coupled with the access door 42 and the guide 16, respectively. It will be understood that the spur gear 60 and rack gear 62 are shown by example and the selection of these design elements should not be interpreted as limiting on the invention.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 2-5, pivotal movement of the access door 42 causes the associated spur gear 60 to rotate therewith, thereby translating along the interengaged rack gear 62. The rack gear 62 thereby extends the guide 16 to the opened position as the access door 42 is rotated to the open position. Conversely, as the access door 42 is returned to the closed position, the interengagement of the spur gear 60 with the rack gear 62 on the guide 16 causes the guide 16 to return to the retracted position within the container 12.

The closure 14 can include a locking mechanism to hold the closure 14 in the opened position. An exemplary locking mechanism 80 has been illustrated in FIG. 3 and can include at least one retainer 82 on the access door, which is aligned with a retainer 84 on the closure 14. To the extent that the frictional interengagement of the spur gear 60 with the rack gear 62 is insufficient to maintain the access door 42 in the opened position during movement of the container 12 (such as during pouring actions), the locking mechanism 80 can be employed to retain the access door 12 in the opened position to prevent inadvertent movement of the access door 42. The retainer 82 on the access door 42 and the retainer 84 on the closure 14 are configured to releasably engage with one another when the access door 42 is moved to the opened position. More specifically, the retainer 84 on the closure 14 has been illustrated as two tabs, which can retain the tab forming the retainer 82 on the access door 42 through an interference fit.

The closure 14 can be associated with the opening 26 of the container 12 and is positionable between a first position, which is illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein the closure 14 closes the opening 26 when the access door 42 is in the closed position and a second interior fill position (FIG. 2) wherein the consumable product can be placed into the interior 22. In this manner, the closure 14 can be detachably mounted to the container 12 around a periphery of the opening 26. The hinge 44 allows for relative movement between the access door 42 and the closure 14. For example, when the closure 14 is mounted to the container 12, the access door 42 can be moved between a closed position (FIG. 3) where the access door 42 closes the remainder of the opening 26 and an opened position (FIG. 4) that allows access to the interior 22 of the container 12. As the sealing surfaces engage through an interference fit, a portion of a periphery of the closure 14 is aligned with a portion of a periphery of the opening 20 on the container 12 and a portion of a periphery of the access door 42 is aligned with the remainder of the periphery of the opening 20 when the access door 42 is in the closed position and the closure 14 is mounted to the container 12. When the closure 14 and access door 42 are in the closed position the interior 22 of the container 12 can be sealed for freshness.

Initially, a user can place the closure 14 in the interior fill position by fully or partially removing the closure 14 from the container 12 such that a consumable product can be transferred from its original packaging and placed into the interior 22. If the product is located in a plastic bag inside the original packaging, the plastic bag may be discarded at this time. The user can then place the guide 16 into the guide receptacle 70 with the protrusions 56 located in the track 72. The user can then place the outer rim 32 of the closure 14 on the rim 28 of the container 12 and close the access door 42 so that the outer rim 45 engages the rim 28 of the container 12. As the sealing surfaces of the container 12, closure 32, and access door 42 engage the portion of the spur gear 60 engages with the rack gear 62 of the guide 16. With the closure 14 in the closed position and the access door 42 in the closed position the consumable product can be kept fresh between uses.

The container 12 can then be placed in the original package 4 of the consumable product 2 after the consumable product has been removed from the original package 4 and placed into the interior 22 of the container 12. The downturned lip 29 can form a receiver for an upper edge of the original package 4 of the consumable product, when the original package 4 is inserted over the container 12. Alternatively, the container 12 may be taller than the original package 4 and thus may not receive the upper edge of the original package 4. Thus, the indicia 6 of the original package 4 can be utilized while the consumable product can be kept fresh by the device 10.

When a user desires to use a portion or serving of the consumable product, the access door 42 can be moved to the opened position (FIG. 4). As the guide 16 is operably coupled to the access door 42 and moveable with the access door 42, it can move between a stored position (FIG. 3) when the access door 42 is in the closed position and a dispensing position when the access door 42 is in the open position (FIG. 4). More specifically, as the access door 42 is moved from the closed position to the opened position the spur gear 60 is rotated causing the rack gear 62 to move such that the guide 16 is extended into the dispensing position. The at least one protrusion 56 of the guide 16 can be in juxtaposition with the at least one track 72 to maintain a location of the guide 16 as the guide 16 is moved between the stored position and the dispensing position. The engagement of the spur gear 60 and the rack gear 62 can more clearly be seen in FIG. 5. In this manner, the guide 16 can be moved from the stored position and to the dispensing position and the guide 16 can form a slide-out pour spout. When a user wants to dispense the consumable product, the user can tip the device 10 and the consumable product can travel through gravitational forces along the ramped portion 21 of the side wall 20 and along the guide 16. In this manner the guide 16 can help direct the product contents during dispensing.

Embodiments of the invention described herein can be used with products that typically come in rectangular original product containers. Thus, it is contemplated that embodiments of the invention can come in varying sizes such that the device can be used with a variety of prepackaged consumable products.

FIG. 6 illustrates a device 110 according to a second embodiment of the invention. The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment; therefore, like parts will be identified with like numerals increased by 100, with it being understood that the description of the like parts of the first embodiment applies to the second embodiment, unless otherwise noted. As with the first embodiment, the device 110 includes a container 112, a closure 114 that can be mounted to the container 112 and having an access door 42 mounted thereto, and a guide 116. Unlike the first embodiment, the container 112 includes an adjustment mechanism 180 which can be moved to adjust a size of an exterior of the container 112 to fit within a variety of original consumable product packages, when the consumable product package is inserted onto the exterior of the container 12. In the illustrated example, an exterior of the container 112 includes at least one recess 182 having a depth and various grooves 184 located along the depth. The adjustment mechanism 180 includes an insert 186 having tabs 188 and an extension wall 190. The tabs 188 are located at first and second ends of the extensions wall 190 such that when the insert 186 is mounted within the recess 182 along the depth thereof the tabs 188 can engage one of the grooves 184 and the insert 186 can be caused to extend beyond at least one side wall 120 of the container 112 to adjust an overall size of the exterior of the container 112 and allowing the container 112 to fit better within an original product package.

It is contemplated that alternative adjustment mechanisms can be used. For example, an alternative adjustment mechanism can include a first wall portion of the container that is slidingly received into a second wall portion of the container, wherein movement of the second wall portion relative to the first wall portion thereby changes the size of the exterior of the container. As yet another example, the container can include at least one adjustable side moveable such that it can slide in and out from the remainder of the container 112 to create a larger or smaller interior as desired by a user.

The above described embodiments provide a variety of benefits including that freshness can be maintained in a packaged consumable product, which includes multiple portions of the consumable product. The embodiments described above allow the product to be accessed as many times as needed while preserving the quality and freshness of the product. Further, a consumer can have continued enjoyment of the outside packaging of the product box and can continue to view the product information on that package. Further, the embodiments described above will not disrupt current product storage inside the home.

While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the appended claims. For example, the above described embodiments can be used in nonfood and non-perishable applications such as laundry treating chemistry where the products can also be sensitive to humidity and can be consumed in several portions located in the package. Further, the above described embodiments can provide benefits in other fields such as automotive, construction, and landscaping.

Claims

1. A device for maintaining freshness of a consumable product provided in an original package, which includes multiple portions of the consumable product comprises:

a container sized to fit within the original package of the consumable product and defining an interior and having an opening;

a closure having an access door mounted thereto, the access door movable with respect to the closure between a closed position and an opened position, wherein the closure is associated with the opening of the container and is positionable between a first position wherein the closure closes the opening when the access door is in the closed position and a second interior fill position wherein the consumable product can be placed into the interior; and

a guide operably coupled to the access door and moveable with the access door between a stored position when the access door is in the closed position and a dispensing position when the access door is in the opened position.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the operable coupling of the guide to the access door comprises a mechanical coupling that converts movement of the access door to movement of the guide.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the mechanical coupling comprises at least a portion of a spur gear mounted to one of the access door and the guide and at least a portion rack gear mounted on the other of the access door and the guide.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising a hinge provided between the access door and the closure to comprise the moveable mounting between the access door and the closure.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein a portion of a periphery of the closure is aligned with a portion of a periphery of the opening on the container, and a portion of a periphery of the access door is aligned with the remainder of the periphery of the opening when the access door is in the closed position and the closure is mounted to the container.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the guide has at least one protrusion at a distal end thereof, and the container further comprises at least one track in juxtaposition with the at least one protrusion on the guide to maintain a location of the guide as the guide is moved between the stored position and the dispensing position.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the container further comprises a first sealing surface and the closure includes a second sealing surface that mates with the first sealing surface when the closure is in the closed position.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the closure further comprises a locking mechanism to hold the access door in the opened position.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one retainer on one of the access door and the closure, and an aligned at least one retainer on the other of the access door and the closure, wherein the at least one retainer on the access door and the at least one retainer on the closure are configured to releasably engage with one another when the access door is moved to the opened position.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the closure is detachably mounted to the container around a periphery of the opening in the closed position.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the container includes an adjustment mechanism which can be moved to adjust a lateral size of an exterior of the container to fit within a variety of consumable product packages, when the consumable product package is inserted onto the exterior of the container.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a first wall portion of the container that is slidingly received into a second wall portion of the container, wherein movement of the second wall portion relative to the first wall portion thereby changes the size of the exterior of the container.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein an exterior of the container comprises at least one recess having a depth, and the adjustment mechanism comprises an insert having an extension wall and tabs at first and second ends thereof, wherein the insert can be mounted within the recess along the depth thereof so that the tabs engage a portion of the recess and the insert extends beyond at least one wall of the container to adjust an overall size of the exterior of the container.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the container has a downturned lip surrounding a periphery of the opening, forming a receiver for an upper edge of the original package of the consumable product, when the original package is inserted over the container after the consumable product has been removed from the original package and placed into the interior of the container.