RECONFIGURABLE FOOD CONTAINER AND EATING UTENSIL
A selectively reconfigurable apparatus includes a body defining, in a first stable configuration, an enclosed space operable to retain a food item, and configured, once the food item is expelled, to be manually caused to achieve a second stable configuration, wherein the body presents at least one eating utensil, such as a spoon, scoop, and/or spreading knife. In a preferred embodiment, the body is planar and defines a plurality of fold and/or cut lines.
This U.S. Non-Provisional patent application claims the benefit of and priority to pending U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 61/951,254, filed on Mar. 11, 2014, the disclosure of which being fully incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to food containers and eating utensils adapted for use by a user, and more particularly, to a hybrid apparatus or “podule” that is reconfigurable from a food container, in a first configuration, to at least a second configuration that presents an eating utensil.
2. Background Art
Food containers, such as condiment packets, are well known and long standing staples of the food processing and distribution arts. They enable a food item housed therein to remain esculent; and they enable individualized serving, storage, and shipping. The food item may be an appurtenance, such as a spice, jam, jelly, butter, or sauce, that is added to a food, such as a sandwich, biscuit, toast, or coffee; or it may be consumed by itself. Where use of the food item is desired, conventional containers are typically opened, expelled of their contents, and then discarded. Likewise, eating utensils are well known and long standing manual tools that aid users in the preparation and consumption of foods. Spoons, forks, and knives, for example, aid in manipulating food, e.g., cutting it down to a manageable portion, gathering and lifting it to the mouth, etc. It is common for a user who wishes to consume a food, such as bread, to use one or more utensils to add or apply a food item, such as butter, to the food; for example, the food item may be spread onto the food using a spreading knife, so as to provide a layer of generally uniform thickness. The one or more eating utensils may then be used to aid in consuming the food. Thus, to consume the food as desired, the user is required to possess both a container of food item, and the necessary utensil(s).
After use, plastic utensils are often discarded, adding generally non-biodegradable waste to the Earth. It is appreciated that in the U.S. alone, some 30 million tons of plastic was discarded in 2014; and of that, only 25% was recycled or converted to energy, resulting in 22.5 million tons being deposited in landfills. The Earth Institute, at Colombia University estimates that global plastic consumption is over 110 million tons a year, and that there is also 100 million tons of plastic debris floating around in oceans (Cho, R., What Happens to All That Plastic, State of the Planet, Jan. 31, 2012). This results in a readily discernable concern, given that the decomposition rate of plastic has been estimated to be 1,000 years. Of further concern, once plastic decomposes, it releases harmful pollutants to the environment.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONThe present invention provides a novel apparatus or “podule” operable to present a food item container in a first configuration, and at least one eating utensil in a second configuration, once the food item stored therein has been expelled. Among other things, the invention is useful for eliminating the need to possess both a container of food item and a separate eating utensil to aid in preparing and/or consuming the food when desired. As such, the invention is further useful for facilitating the consumption of food by users, reducing packaging space, and increasing the functionality of food containers. By eliminating the need for both a food container and a utensil, an often times a plastic utensil, the invention is yet further useful for effecting an environmental benefit to the Earth, and to those that rely on its health, by reducing waste, including non-biodegradable plastic waste.
More particularly, the present invention concerns an apparatus selectively reconfigurable from a container adapted to house a food item, and to at least one eating utensil. The apparatus comprises a planar body defining at least one fold line, and portions adjacent said at least one fold line. Said at least one fold line and portions are geometrically configured such that the body defines an enclosed space in a first configuration, by folding a first subset of the portions first predetermined degrees, and a second configuration when a second subset of the portions are folded second predetermined degrees. The first and second subsets and/or degrees are incongruent. The body, when in the second configuration, presents an eating utensil manually manipulable and operable to facilitate the preparation or consumption of food by the user.
In a preferred embodiment, the body is formed of a bio-degradable material, and is able to achieve second and third configurations that present different utensils. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s) and the accompanying drawing figures.
Preferred embodiment(s) of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. As shown in
The eating utensil that the podule 10 forms may be any eating or food preparatory utensil operable to facilitate the preparation or consumption of food by the user 14, including but not limited to any of a variety of spoons or scoops (
The preferred podule 10 is formed from a planar body 16 that is bent, folded, or otherwise manipulated to form the first and second configurations. As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the body 16 in its planar state presents a symmetrical shape comprising a central conical area 22, and lateral wing areas 24. The central area 22 presents an inverted cone extending four inches in length, and having a diameter of two inches at its rounded end. The central area or cone 22 defines a fold line 18a along the lateral center line of the podule 10, and sloped fold lines 18b along the extremities of the cone. The wing areas or wings 24 run adjacent the sloped fold lines 18b and converge at the pointed tip of the cone 22. Each of the illustrated wings 24 defines parallel sides, a half circle 24a having a one inch diameter adjacent the pointed tip, and a circular or elliptical sector 24b at the opposite end (
The fold lines 18 and portions 20 are geometrically configured such that the body 16 is caused to define an enclosed space (not shown) in a first configuration (
To achieve the second configuration, which presents a first eating utensil (
More preferably, the podule 10 is operable to achieve second and third configurations that present different utensils. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the podule 10 is able achieve a third configuration, which presents a spreading knife (
The body 16 is preferably formed of a pliable material suitable for the intended purpose, as readily selectable by one of ordinary skill in the art. Such materials include durable paper, cardboard, organic composites, degradable plastics, foil sheets, and combinations thereof. More preferably, the body 16 is formed of a bio-degradable material such as durable cardboard, so as to effect an environmental benefit to the Earth. The preferred podule 10 may further include a protective, internal layer 30 fixedly attached to the body 16, and disposed intermediate the body 16 and space in the first configuration, so as to space the food item 12 from the body 16. The layer 30 is cooperatively configured with the food item 12, so as to be non-reactive, and otherwise safe for use therewith. For example, the internal layer 30 may include a non-absorbing, and non-reactive coating, film, sheet, or bladder. Finally, in the illustrated embodiment, the exterior of the container is presented by one side of the planar body 16 (
The preferred forms of the invention described above are to be used as illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention. For example, as described, the podule 10 may present utensil surfaces having a rounded edge which functions as a spoon-like or knife-like utensil depending on the angle or position of use; however, the edge is not limited to the forms depicted and may present other regular (geometric) or irregular shapes. Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments and methods of operation, as set forth herein, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The inventors hereby state their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of the present invention as pertains to any system or method not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. An apparatus selectively reconfigurable from a container adapted to house a food item, to an eating utensil adapted for use by a user, said apparatus comprising:
- a body defining, in a first configuration, an enclosed space operable to retain the food item, and manually transformable to a second configuration, once the food item is expelled,
- said body, in the second configuration, presenting an eating utensil manually manipulable and operable to facilitate the preparation or consumption of food by the user.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is formed of a pliable material selected from the group consisting essentially of cardboard, organic composite, and foil.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
- an exterior layer fixedly attached to the body, intermediately disposed between the body and space in the first configuration, and cooperatively configured with the food item, so as to be non-reactive therewith.
4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the exterior layer is selected from the group consisting essentially of a coating, film, and sheet.
5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the eating utensil is selected from the group consisting essentially of a spoon, scoop, knife, spatula, fork, cup, straw, and bowl.
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the body, in the second configuration, presents a spreading knife having a handle section, and a flat food engaging section defining a curvilinear edge.
7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the body, in the second configuration, presents a spoon or scoop defining a partially enclosed cavity operable to retain a quantity of food when oriented upright.
8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
- said body being planar, and defining at least one fold line, and portions adjacent said at least one fold line, wherein said at least one fold line and portions are geometrically configured such that the body defines the first configuration by folding a first subset of the portions first predetermined degrees, and defines the second configuration when a second subset of the portions are folded second predetermined degrees,
- said first and second subsets and/or degrees being incongruent.
9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the first and/or second subsets are caused to form superjacent layers, and bonded, when in the first or second configuration.
10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one fold line presents at least one perforated cut line, and is further configured to cause the body to define a second configuration when at least one portion adjacent said at least one cut line is separated from the remaining portions by detaching the body along said at least one cut line.
11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the body defines a symmetric planar shape.
12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the shape presents a central conical region, and laterally adjacent wings.
13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the wings presents parallel sides, and sector and half-circle parts at opposite ends.
14. An apparatus selectively reconfigurable from a container adapted to house a food item, and to a select one of a plurality of eating utensils adapted for use by a user, said apparatus comprising:
- a planar body defining at least one fold line, and portions adjacent said at least one fold line, wherein said at least one fold line and portions are geometrically and cooperatively configured such that the body defines an enclosed space in a first configuration, by folding a first subset of the portions first predetermined degrees, defines a second configuration, when a second subset of the portions are folded second predetermined degrees, and defines a third configuration, when a third subset of the portions are folded third predetermined degrees,
- said first, second, and third subsets and/or degrees being incongruent,
- said body, when in the second and third configurations, presenting a different eating utensils manually manipulable and operable to facilitate the preparation or consumption of food by the user.
15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the body, in the second configuration, presents a spreading knife having a handle section, and a flat food engaging section defining a curvilinear edge, and in the second configuration, presents a spoon or scoop defining a partially enclosed cavity operable to retain a quantity of food when oriented upright.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 7, 2015
Publication Date: Sep 17, 2015
Inventors: Patrick A. Boateng, II (Beltsville, MD), Aja Jeanty (Sherborn, MA), Tiffany Chen (Yorktown Heights, NY)
Application Number: 14/641,348