Feeding dishes for children
Improved feeding dishes for children. The dishes are microwaveable containers such as plates or bowls having one or more lids thereon. The containers include pressure release opening such as vents for releasing pressure from the container while the dish is heated in a microwave. Automatic vents, which release pressure once the pressure releases a given level, and manual vents, which are opened and closed by the parent, are provided. Preferably, the containers are composites of soft and hard components.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 09/963,135 filed Sep. 25, 2001 (pending), which claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/235,072 filed Sep. 25, 2000, both of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to improved feeding dishes for children, such as feeding plates and bowls.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONFrequently, parents wish to heat up food for small children. One convenient way to do so is to place the food in a feeding dish and to heat the food in a microwave. However, if the food is heated without a top, the food (and/or any liquid in the dish) can splatter, making a mess on the inside of the microwave.
An alternative is to heat the food with the lid only partially covering the dish, so as to prevent the problem of splattering. Yet, this is not an entirely satisfactory method either. Heating is somewhat inefficient using this method and some splattering may still occur due to the gap between the lid and the dish.
Furthermore, securely attaching the top to the dish is also relatively undesirable. Steam and heat can build up within the dish while heating. When the parent removes the top, that steam and heat may be quickly released. If the parent is not careful or if the child is nearby, the child can be exposed to this quick release of heat and steam when the top is removed.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved feeding dishes which allow quick and relatively efficient heating in the microwave while preventing splattering, and which reduce or eliminate the risk of scalding the child when the top is removed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide improved feeding dishes and containers for children.
It is a further object to provide improved feeding dishes for children which can be efficiently microwaved without splattering.
It is a further object to provide improved feeding dishes for children which reduce the risk of releasing steam or heat into the child's face when the top is removed.
Further objects of the invention will become apparent in conjunction with the disclosure provided herein.
The present invention is directed to improved feeding dishes for children in the form of containers such as plates or bowls. The containers have components which allow pressure such as steam or other heat to be released from the container during heating.
In the preferred embodiment, the container includes a pressure release opening such as a vent, and is constructed of components which are suitable for being microwaved (and/or for being heated in an oven). In one embodiment, the vent automatically releases pressure from the container, once the pressure reaches a given level. In a further embodiment, the pressure vent can be opened and closed by a parent. This selective opening and closing allows the parent to control pressure release as desired. For example, the parent can leave the vent open while microwaving the food to allow pressure and steam to be released from the dish during the heating process. After cooking the food, the vent can be closed to maintain the warmth of the food within the container.
In further preferred embodiments, the plates and bowls are composites of soft and hard components. For example, Kraton, silicone, TPE, or other flexible materials can be used for the soft components, and polypropylene or other rigid materials or rigid plastics can be used for the hard components.
The containers are also preferably suited for eating directly therefrom. They can be directly inserted into a microwave for heating their contents, and can also be used for storage of food in a refrigerator, or for travel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are perspective views of the feeding container of
In accordance with the present invention, a feeding container is provided for feeding young children as shown in
Plate 20 is covered by one or more lids. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in the figures, a separate lid is provided for each compartment. As shown in
The use of multiple lids allows a parent to feed a child from each individual compartment by removing the lid from that one compartment, while the other lids remain attached. Thus, while the child is being fed from that one compartment, the lids attached to the other compartments keep the food in those other compartments warm. In addition, should the child knock the plate over, the waste of food is minimized to spillage from a single compartment only, since the other lids remain attached to the plate. Preferably, the lids are snap-on lids, with a tab 28 provided to each lid to pull the lid off of the plate.
In accordance with the invention, the container also has one or more pressure release vents therein. In the preferred embodiment, each of the lids of the plate (or each of the compartments) has a pressure vent. One such pressure vent 50 is shown in
The pressure vent 50 is provided so that the plate can be warmed safely in a microwave while the lid is attached to the tray. This vent prevents the container from exploding in the microwave, and prevents excessive pressure from being released into the child (or parent's) face when the lid is removed. An automatic vent can be used (which releases pressure when it rises to a given level), or a manual vent can be used (which is opened and closed by the parent). An example of an automatic vent is vent 50 as shown in
In one preferred embodiment of an automatic vent, vent 50 consists of a ring 44 which is snapped onto each of the lids 22, 24 and 26, as shown in FIGS. 2(a)-2(e). For example, as shown in
With particular reference to the top views shown in FIGS. 2(d)-2(e), the elastic membrane 40 consists of a circular sheet of flexible material. This flexible material or membrane 40 has a slit 42 through it. Normally, the slit 42 is closed, i.e. the edges of the slit are pressed against each other so that the vent is in the closed position, as shown in
Once pressure is released from the container, the membrane returns to its original closed position, as shown in
In summary, when a plate of food is heated in the microwave, pressure can build up in each of the compartments of the container of the invention. When the pressure in the container or a section thereof builds to a predetermined level, the pressure is released through the vent in the lid. As pressure builds, the membrane flexes upward, stretching the slit to open it. This opening of the slit releases any of the pressure built up underneath. Thus, the plate will not explode, as can happen when a tightly sealed food tray is microwaved for too long.
Various shaped membranes can be used consistent with the invention. For example, in one embodiment the membrane is concave, pressing the edges of the slit against each other and closing the slit as shown by configuration 46 in
Likewise, any other automatic vent configuration can also be used consistent with the invention, the configuration of
Moreover, manual vent configurations can also be used. For example, a hole can be provided in the lid of a container with a small snap on cover covering that hole (the cover being attached to the lid, or separate from it). The parent removes the small cover from the hole to release pressure (before or after microwaving the food) and replaces the small cover once the compartment has been vented. The cover can be attached via a strap to the lid so that it is not lost when removed. Alternately, a turning manual vent can be provided as shown in
Similarly, many other automatic and manual vents are known in the art and can be used with the current containers.
In accordance with the preferred embodiments of the invention (as with the vent of
Further in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, the feeding dishes include both relatively soft and relatively hard components, as shown in the figures. For example, soft grip handles 30 are provided on the top of the plate on the hard handles, as shown in
In an additional or alternate embodiment, a soft no-slide or slide resistant base 36 is provided on the hard bottom of the container to prevent skidding of the plate across a table surface, as shown in
While the top of the handle and the bottom of the base are preferably soft, other components of the invention (e.g. the plate) are preferably made of harder materials to facilitate cleaning food particles therefrom. In one preferred embodiment, the softer components are made of Kraton while the harder components are made of polypropylene. In other embodiments, other soft components such as silicone, TPE, or so forth can also be used, and other hard components such as other rigid plastics can be used, all consistent with the invention.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a feeding bowl is provided as shown in FIGS. 3 through 5. Feeding bowl 80 includes a bowl 82 and a domed lid 84. The construction of the feeding bowl is similar to that of the feeding plate described above, and likewise includes a pressure valve therein.
In a preferred embodiment of the feeding bowl, however, the pressure valve is incorporated in a lid handle, as also shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Lid channel or cut out 120 extends from the top of the cylindrical insert piece 118, down part of the length of that insert piece. A corresponding cut out or channel is provided in lid handle 100. This corresponding cut out is handle channel 108 shown in
After inserting lid handle 100 into insert 118, lid handle 100 can be rotated within the cylindrical insert 118 by rotating knob 102.
When rotated to the open position, channel 108 of lid handle 100 overlaps with channel 120 of cylindrical insert 118 of the lid. As a result, air can flow from the container, into the bottom of cylinder 106, into the channel 108, and out through channel 120 to exit the bowl, as shown in the front view of
When rotated to the closed position, channel 108 of lid handle 100 overlaps with the solid portion of the cylindrical insert 118, i.e. solid section 130 of the circumference shown in
In summary, the lid includes a channel (cut out 120), and the lid handle includes a corresponding channel 108. The handle can be rotated such that the two channels overlap, to release pressure from inside the container. Or, the handle can be rotated such that they do not overlap, to retain pressure and heat within the container.
In an additional embodiment, as shown in
When the bump 140 is rotated into indentation 150, the lid handle is in the open vent position; when the bump 140 is rotated into indentation 154, the lid handle is in the closed vent position. For illustration purposes, a spacing between indentations 150 and 154 is shown wherein the open and closed vent positions are offset by an arc of less than 180 degrees, although a greater or lesser spacing and arc can be used, as desired.
A further embodiment, showing a travel bowl with a flat lid, is shown in
Although the present invention has been described with respect to the preferred embodiments of feeding dishes and bowls, they can be used with other food containers as well. Having described this invention with regard to specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the description is not meant as a limitation since further embodiments, modifications and variations may be apparent or may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It is intended that the present application cover all such embodiments, modifications and variations.
Claims
1. A method comprising the steps of:
- providing a container, said container comprising microwaveable material, said container being provided for use for holding food during heating of the food in a microwave;
- said container being provided with a vent for the release of pressure building up in said container while said container is being used in a microwave to heat food in said container;
- said vent comprising a flexible material having a slit, wherein said flexible material and slit serve to allow release of pressure through said slit and out of said container during the heating of the food in the microwave, said release of said pressure from said vent being automatic such that there is no need to open said vent prior to insertion of said container into the microwave.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible material stretches when pressure builds in said container during the heating of the food in the microwave.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container comprises a ring and a gasket and said flexible material is sandwiched between said ring and said gasket.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible material is concave.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vent opens at a predetermined pressure level, and closes below said predetermined pressure level.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container comprises a lid, and wherein said vent is in said lid.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container comprises a lid, and wherein said lid further comprises a tab for pulling said lid off of said container.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container comprises a lid, and said lid is a snap-on lid.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container comprises compartments, and wherein each of said compartments has a lid.
10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container comprises compartments, and comprises a lid for each of said compartments, and wherein each of said lids comprises at least one of said vents.
11. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container is constructed of soft and hard components.
12. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container includes a soft grip handle.
13. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container includes a soft, slide-resistant base.
14. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container is further used as a feeding dish for children.
15. A method comprising the steps of:
- providing a container, said container comprising microwaveable material, said container being provided for use for holding food during heating of the food in a microwave;
- said container being provided with a vent for the release of pressure building up in said container while said container is being used in a microwave to heat food in said container;
- said vent comprising a flexible material having a slit, wherein said flexible material and slit serve to allow release of pressure through said slit and out of said container during the heating of the food in the microwave, said release of said pressure from said vent being automatic such that there is no need to open said vent prior to insertion of said container into the microwave;
- wherein said flexible material stretches and said vent automatically releases pressure through said slit and out of said container when pressure sufficiently builds in said container during the heating of the food in the microwave.
- said container further comprising a lid, said vent being located in said lid, said lid being a snap-on lid for attachment of said lid to said container.
16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said automatic vent opens at a predetermined pressure level, and closes below said predetermined pressure level.
17. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said lid further comprises a a tab for pulling said lid off of said container.
18. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said vent is inserted into a hole in said lid and is snapped onto said lid.
19. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said lid further comprises a a tab for pulling said lid off of said container, and wherein said vent is inserted into a hole in said lid and is snapped onto said lid.
20. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said container is provided to further serve as a feeding dish for children.
21. A method comprising the steps of:
- providing a container, said container comprising microwaveable material, said container being provided for use for heating food in a microwave;
- said container being provided with a vent for the release of pressure from said container;
- said vent comprising a flexible material, said flexible material comprising a slit;
- said slit being provided to serve as an automatic vent, such that said flexible material stretches and said vent automatically releases pressure through said slit and out of said container when pressure sufficiently builds in said container during the heating of the food in the microwave.
- said container further comprising a lid, said vent being located in said lid;
- said vent being inserted into a hole in said lid and being snapped onto said lid;
- said lid being a snap-on lid for attachment of said lid to said container, said lid further comprising a tab for pulling said lid off of said container.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 9, 2005
Publication Date: Sep 14, 2006
Inventor: Nouri Hakim (Monroe, LA)
Application Number: 11/298,300
International Classification: A47G 19/00 (20060101);