SANDWICH BAG WITH COOLER
A means to keep a sandwich or food item fresh and safe in a disposable closeable plastic bag is provided. The means is an extension to the bag that contains a refrigerateable gel polymer. As a result, the closeable bag can be placed into the freezer for allowing the gel polymer to solify. Then the bag is removed from the freezer and a sandwich or food item is placed thereinto. The bag is then closed and folded over, so that the extension abuts the food so as to maintain freshness for an extended time. Alternately, a double closeable plastic bag with substantially identical pouches or pockets is provided, with one end containing food and the opposite end designed for receiving a frozen gel polymer pack. Still further, the plastic bag may have a separate gel receiving pouch disposed to abut the food storage pocket of the bag.
This application claims priority of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/806,016, filed Jun. 28, 2006.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSandwiches and other food items will only maintain freshness and flavor for a limited time (such as those items stored in children's lunch bags or picnic baskets), as the food quality degrades rapidly without refrigeration or placement into thermal coolers. Freezer blocks used in lunch boxes permit the foods to retain freshness, but they need to be returned and cleaned for repeated usage and are heavy in comparison to the food to be preserved.
Prior art publication US 2003/0223650 A1 by Knoerzer describes a package with a pocket that can be filled with another material, but does not describe the use of a gel polymer to provide heat or freezing in the package. The Knoerzer publication teaches a pocket within the package, but no method to add another cooling material into the pocket.
Prior art patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,551 to Mitchell discloses an envelope for keeping items cold having an outer insulating envelope and an inner envelope having multiple cells containing liquid that may be frozen. The Mitchell patent is complex in construction. It is also relatively expensive to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn the present invention, a novel means is described in that a closeable plastic bag is provided with an extension forming a single unit. The extension is so made that it will contain a chamber for a refrigerated gel polymer that may be pre-filled. The inventive bag is sold as a single use food bag. The gel polymer is captured permanently by having it sealed into the extension of the bag.
The bag is placed into a freezer and, when prepared for use, the opposite open end is expanded and the sandwich or food item is placed info the bag. The bag is then closed by pressing the top halves together to engage an interlocking fastener, thus sealing the bag. The frozen extension is then folded over so as to abut the stored food in order to keep it cold for a period of time. The bag, after the food is removed for consumption, is then thrown away, eliminating the need for the user to bring it home.
A further embodiment is a plastic bag with an extension that, rather than being pre-filled with a gel polymer, instead contains an opening in the extension with an interlocking fastener that is the same as at the opposite food storage section into which a separate frozen sealed gel polymer bag is placed.
In use, the user seals the interlocking fastener and folds the extension over so as to abut the food section. The sealed gel bag is then removed by opening the interlocking fastener for reuse.
The interlocking fasteners referred to are well known of the type found in “ZIPLOC” bags.
Additionally, in accordance with the invention, a closeable food sandwich bag is constructed with an exterior pocket separate from the sandwich bag and located atop the outer surface of the bag for allowing a frozen gel polymer pack to be inserted into the pocket, thereby cooling the food inside the bag.
The present invention is not only created for home use, but for institutional food services that do not have refrigeration or cooler chests. The invention is also applicable for medicinal storage for patients.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the invention to provide a disposable sandwich bag with integral gel freezer pack.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a disposable sandwich bag with a removable gel freezer pack.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a disposable sandwich bag with a removable gel freezer pack placed into a pouch.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bag for keeping items cold that is easy to construct.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide bag for keeping items cold that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
Still other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiments, of the present invention.
For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following drawings in which:
Prior to inserting the sandwich or other food item into food storage bag 1, bag 1 is placed into a freezer and the liquid gel polymer 8 is solidified.
A further embodiment of the food storage bag is shown in
Still another embodiment is depicted in
A sandwich 31 or other food item is placed into the opening 54 and the opening is closed by pressing the surface of 50, forcing the interlocking fasteners 52 and 53 to seal. Gel pack 30, previously placed info a freezer and then solidified, is placed into the compartment 51, transferring cold from the gel pack 30 to the sandwich 31, thereby maintaining freshness. When sandwich 31 is removed, the gel pack 30 also is removed and reused; the sandwich bag is then disposed of as refuse.
The scope of the invention may now be indicated in the following claims.
Claims
1. A storage bag comprising:
- a storage receiving pocket;
- a compartment for receiving a refrigeratable material; and
- a foldable hinge separating said storage pocket from said compartment, said hinge allowing said compartment to be folded to abut said storage pocket for keeping said storage pocket cold.
2. A storage bag according to claim 1, wherein:
- said compartment is an extension of said storage receiving pocket.
3. A storage bag according to claim 1, wherein:
- said storage bag is formed of a single piece of plastic.
4. A storage bag according to claim 1, wherein:
- said compartment is permanently sealed to maintain said refrigeratable material therein.
5. A storage bag according to claim 1, wherein said refrigeratable material is a gel polymer.
6. A storage bag according to claim 1, wherein:
- said storage bag is disposable after use.
7. A storage bag according to claim 1, wherein:
- said storage receiving pocket includes an end which can be opened and closed.
8. A storage bag according to claim 7, further comprising:
- a closure for maintaining said end of said storage receiving pocket selectively in an open and in a closed condition.
9. A storage bag according to claim 8, wherein:
- said closure is formed with cooperating fastening elements within said storage receiving pocket that allow said closure to be sealed and unsealed.
10. A storage bag according to claim 1, wherein:
- said refrigeratable material is a maintained within a gel pack.
11. A storage bag according to claim 10, wherein:
- said compartment has an end, which can be opened and closed to receive said gel pack.
12. A storage bag according to claim 11, further comprising:
- a closure for maintaining said end of said compartment in an open condition or a closed condition for receiving and thereafter maintaining said gel pack therein.
13. A storage bag according to claim 12, wherein:
- said gel pack is removable from said compartment for subsequent reuse.
14. A storage bag according to claim 12, wherein:
- said closure is formed with cooperating fastening elements that allow said closure to be sealed and unsealed.
15. A food storage bag comprising:
- a food storage receiving pocket;
- a closure formed with fastening elements within said food storage pocket for allowing said closure to be sealed and unsealed;
- a compartment extending from said food storage pocket for receiving a refrigeratable material; and
- a foldable hinge separating said food storage pocket from said compartment, said hinge allowing said compartment to be folded to abut said storage pocket for keeping sale storage pocket cold.
16. A food storage bag according to claim 15, wherein:
- said compartment is permanently sealed to keep said refrigeratable material permanently therein.
17. A food storage bag according to claim 15, wherein:
- said compartment has a closure formed with fastening elements for allowing said closure to be opened and closed to receive and maintain said refrigeratable material within said compartment.
18. A food storage bag according to claim 17, wherein:
- said refrigeratable material is removable from said compartment for subsequent reuse.
19. A food storage bag according to claim 18, wherein:
- Said refrigeratable material is maintained within a cold pack.
20. A food storage bag according to claim 15, wherein:
- said food storage pocket, said hinge and said compartment are formed from a single piece of plastic.
21. A storage bag comprising:
- a storage pocket having first and second walls; and
- a cold pack receiving pouch abutting said storage pocket and located on said first wall.
22. A storage bag according to claim 21, further comprising:
- a cold pack selectively disposed within said cold pack receiving pouch for keeping items within said storage pocket cold.
23. A storage bag according to claim 22, wherein:
- said storage pocket has an end which can be selectively opened and closed.
24. A storage bag according to claim 20, further comprising:
- fastening links located on said first and second end walls at said end of said storage pocket for maintaining said pocket in a sealed or an unsealed condition.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 27, 2007
Publication Date: Mar 20, 2008
Inventor: Steven Russo (Brooklyn, NY)
Application Number: 11/769,220
International Classification: F25D 3/08 (20060101); B65D 30/22 (20060101); B65D 33/25 (20060101);