Anti-spill container

Abstract

An anti-spill food or small item container assembly having a container with an open top and defining a chamber adapted to contain food. A lid is detachably secured to the container and the lid includes a flexible portion extending across and covering the open top of the container. The flexible lid portion includes at least one slit which forms at least one flap in the lid to permit access to the interior chamber of the container in which the food is contained. Furthermore, the lid portion is constructed of a material having shape memory so that, after deflection of the flap, the flap will substantially return to its original position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/317,161 filed Sep. 4, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] I. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates generally to food or small item containers and, more particularly, to an anti-spill container for food or other small items.

[0004] II. Description of Related Art

[0005] It is well known that small infants, when learning to feed themselves, frequently spill food from containers for the food. This, of course, creates a mess of food around the infant which must be cleaned up by the caregiver.

[0006] In order to minimize the mess caused by infants spilling food from their containers, there are a number of previously known anti-spill dispensers for milk and other liquids. These anti-spill dispensers typically include a valve which closes thus containing the liquid within the interior of the container when the container is knocked over to one side or on its top.

[0007] While there have been a number of previously known anti-spill containers for liquids, there have been no previously known anti-spill containers for solid foods. Such solid foods can include, for example, cereal which is placed into a cup and given to the child. The contents, i.e. the solid food, within the cup oftentimes become spilled on the floor thus requiring cleaning by the caregiver.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0008] The present invention provides an anti-spill food container for an infant or toddler which is particularly designed to contain a solid food, such as cereal.

[0009] In brief, the food container assembly of the present invention includes a food container having an open top and defining a chamber adapted to contain a food. Preferably, the container is in the shape of a cup or similar article.

[0010] A lid is detachably secured to the container and this lid includes a flexible portion extending across and covering the open top of the container. Preferably, the lid is constructed of a resilient material and is resiliently secured to the container. However, alternate constructions can be used to secure the lid to the container.

[0011] The flexible lid portion includes at least one, preferably two or more, crossing slits which form at least one flap in the lid portion. Thus, even though the flexible lid portion extends across the open top of the container, by inserting one's hand through the flap and into the interior chamber of the container, one may gain access to and remove food or other items from the container. Preferably, the flexible lid portion is constructed of a transparent material.

[0012] The flexible lid portion, however, is constructed of a material having shape memory. Consequently, after one inserts his or her hand through the flap and into the interior of the container, upon removal of the hand from the container the flap will return to its original position thus again covering the open top of the container. Consequently, even in the event that the container is tipped onto its side or top, the flexible lid portion still retains the solid food or items within the interior chamber of the container.

[0013] The anti-spill container of the present invention can also be used to contain other small items, such as coins, and used by adults.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0014] A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a side diagrammatic view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 and enlarged for clarity; and

[0018] FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating the container in an inverted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a preferred embodiment of the container assembly 10 for small items, such as snack food, of the present invention is illustrated and includes a container 12. The container 12 is generally cylindrical in shape having an open top 14. The open top 14 is illustrated in the drawing as generally circular in shape, although the container 12 as well as its open top may be of any desired conventional shape.

[0020] The container 12, furthermore, defines an interior chamber 16 adapted to contain a solid food 18 (FIG. 1), such as cereal or small items. The container 12 is preferably made of an unbreakable material, such as plastic, and may be either opaque or transparent.

[0021] The food container assembly 10 includes a lid 20 which is detachably secured to the container 12. The lid 20, furthermore, includes a flexible lid portion 22 which extends across and covers the open top 14 of the container 12 when the lid 20 is attached to the container 12.

[0022] With reference now particularly to FIG. 3, although any conventional means may be utilized to detachably secure the lid 20 to the container 12, preferably the container 12 includes an outwardly projecting lip 24 around its open top 14. The lid 20 is then constructed of a resilient and stretchable material having an annular flange 26 extending around the outer periphery of the lid 20. This annular flange 26 includes an annular recess 28 designed to receive the outwardly projecting lip 24 on the container 12. Thus, the lid 22 is detachably secured to the container 12 by snapping the flange 26 over the container lip 24. In doing so, the lid 20 is attached to the container 12 in a sufficiently secure fashion to prevent its removal by a young child. However, an adult is able to remove the lid 20 from the container 12 by stretching the flange 26 of the lid 20 upwardly and outwardly from the container lip 24 thus freeing the lid 20 from the container 12.

[0023] Alternatively, any conventional means, such as a screw top, can be used to detachably secure the lid 22 to the container.

[0024] The central portion 22 of the lid 20 is preferably constructed of a flexible material, such as plastic. Additionally, the lid portion 22 is preferably constructed of a transparent material and may be of a one-piece construction with the remainder of the lid 20.

[0025] Referring again to FIGS. 1-3, the lid portion 22 includes at least one, and preferably two or more slits 30 formed through the lid portion 22 so that the slits 30 extend generally diametrically across the lid portion 22. The slits 30 thus form at least one, and preferably several flaps 32 in the lid portion 22.

[0026] As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, these flaps 32 are deflected inwardly as shown in phantom line in FIG. 3 upon insertion of one's hand 34 into the interior chamber 16 of the container 12. The flaps 32 are constructed of a flexible material, such as plastic, so that one does not injure his or herself by inserting his or her hand 32 through the flaps 32.

[0027] The lid portion 22 is also constructed of a material having shape memory. As such, although the flaps may be deflected outwardly as shown in phantom line in FIG. 2, because of their shape memory upon removal of the child's hand 34 from the interior of the container 12, the flaps 32 return substantially to their original position as shown in solid line in FIG. 3 in which the flaps cover the open top 14 of the container 12. The shape memory of the plastic material thus ensures that the flaps 32 will return to their original position despite multiple deflections of the flaps 32 by one inserting his or her hand through the flaps 32.

[0028] In practice, with the lid 20 removed from the container 12, the interior chamber 16 of the container 12 is at least partially filled with the dry, solid food or small items 18. Thereafter, the lid 20 is attached to the container 12 so that the lid portion 22 extends across and substantially covers the open top 14 of the container 12. In doing so, the lid portion 22 retains the solid food or small items 18 within the interior 16 of the container 12 even when the container 12 is inverted to a position shown, for example, in FIG. 4.

[0029] The flexible lid portion 22, however, enables one to gain access through the lid 22 as shown in FIG. 1 so that one 34 can remove the food 18 from the interior of the container 12. However, once one 34 removes his or her hand from the container 12, the flaps 32 return to their original position covering the open top 14 of the container 12 in the previously described fashion.

[0030] Although the container assembly 10 of the present invention has been described as an anti-spill container for a child's snack food, it will be understood that the container assembly 10 has many other uses. For example, the container assembly 10 could also be used as a coin change container assembly for use by an adult in an automobile or elsewhere. Indeed, the anti-spill container assembly can be used in a virtually unlimited number of different applications.

[0031] From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a simple and yet completely effective anti-spill food or small item container. Having described my invention, however, many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An anti-spill container assembly comprising:

a container having an open top and defining an interior chamber adapted to contain food or small items,

a lid detachably connected to said container, said lid including a flexible portion extending across and covering said open top of said container,

wherein said flexible lid portion includes at least one slit which forms at least one flap in said lid portion to permit access to said interior chamber in said container.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said lid portion is constructed of a material having shape memory.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said lid portion is preferably constructed of plastic.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one slit comprises at least two crossing linear slits thus forming at least four flaps.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said lid portion is circular in shape and wherein said slits extend diametrically.

6. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said lid portion is preferably constructed of a transparent material.

7. An anti-spill child's container assembly for small items comprising:

a container having an open top and defining an interior chamber adapted to contain small items,

a lid detachably connected to said container, said lid including a flexible portion extending across and covering said open top of said container,

wherein said flexible lid portion includes at least one slit which forms at least one flap in said lid portion to permit access to said interior chamber in said container.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said lid portion is constructed of a material having shape memory.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said lid portion is constructed of plastic.

10. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said at least one slit comprises at least two crossing linear slits thus forming at least four flaps.

11. The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein said lid portion is circular in shape and wherein said slits extend diametrically.

12. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said lid portion is constructed of a transparent material.