Packaging for Selling and Preparing a Combined Food Product
A packaging system and method for selling and preparing a food product that is a combination of two or more food items. The system comprises a first container having a first food item therein, a second container having a second food item therein and a mechanism for disconnectedly joining the first container and the second container together. In use, the containers are separated, the food items are separately prepared and at least one of the food items is removed from its container and combined with the other food item to form the desired food product. The joining mechanism can comprise pull-tab devices, threaded connections, slot and pin connections, hook-and-loop connections and the like. A discharging mechanism can assist with discharging a food item from its container. One or more of the containers can be converted into a bowl-like or plate-like receptacle for preparing or consuming the food product.
None.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCHNot Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISCNot Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to systems and methods for preparing food products. In particular, the present invention relates to packaging systems and methods of food preparation that allow a person to purchase two or more food items that can be separately prepared and then combined to produce a combined food product. Even more particularly, this invention relates to such packaging systems and methods of food preparation that allow the food preparer to purchase a first food item together or separate from a second food item, separately prepare the two food items and then easily combine the food items to produce the desired combined food product for consumption.
B. Background
All food products that are prepared for consumption by one or more persons initially require collecting and then mixing, arranging or other combining of the various ingredients, which can be separately consumable food items, that make up the finished or combined food product that is to be consumed. This collecting and then combining of the ingredients is applicable to all types and forms of combined food products, whether the food product is prepared at home, in a restaurant, by a “street” food vendor or by companies that sell food products at supermarkets and other locations that then require final preparation, such as cooking in a microwave or oven, by the consumer at his or her home. As can be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the type and amount of collecting and combining of ingredients necessary to prepare a final combined food product various substantially by the food product. For instance, some food products can be prepared with a minimal amount of collecting and combining of ingredients, typically because the ingredients are few and/or are readily available to the food preparer, while preparation of other food products require substantial effort to collect and combine the ingredients. To assist the food preparer with the process of collecting and combining ingredients to prepare the final food product, many commonly available food products are provided with the food item ingredients included in a single package. As well known in the art, there are many examples of food products that are provided with a combination of food item ingredients.
Many people desire food products that are previously prepared and either are ready to eat (i.e., fast food) or only require heating to eat. This desire has led to a significant increase in fast food outlets, grocery stores that sell cooked food and availability of canned and frozen foods. Unfortunately, many of these food sources, particularly fast food outlets, tend to provide food products that are not as healthy as fresh-prepared food products and, in most instances, are not as tasty. In addition, the variety of food products that are available on a “fast food” basis is somewhat limited. While many canned, frozen and other packaged food products can be more healthy and fresher due to being prepared at home, depending on the individual food product, the available variety of such food products is also somewhat limited. To overcome the limited nature of these packaged food products, make the food products more interesting to those who will be eating the food products and, in some cases, to improve the healthiness of the packaged food products, some food preparers will add their own ingredients (such as fresh vegetables or fruit, meat or cheese) to the food product. To do so, however, does require more collecting and combining effort on the part of the food preparer, which reduces the time-reducing benefit of selecting prepared food products.
One problem with collecting and combining food items into a single combined food product is that often the food items are only available in relatively large containers when the food preparer only wants a small portion of the food item for use with the combined food product. Such a situation results in a significant amount of the food item left over. Another problem with collecting and combining food items into a single combined food product is that the food preparer often has to purchase food items that are a compromise of what the group of people who will be eating the food product, which usually includes the food preparer himself or herself, like to eat. As can be readily appreciated by most food preparers, it can be difficult to make a single combined food product that is made up of food items that are the most desirable of such food items to each person who will be eating the food product. The result is that one or more of those who will consume the food product will be eating something that is not their preferred combination of food items. A problem with preparing a combined food product is that very often the food items that make up the food product must be stored and/or prepared, if prepared at all, differently than one or more of the other food item ingredients for the food product. For instance, some food items can be stored in and served out of a non-refrigerated cabinet while others must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and then are either combined and eaten in the cold/frozen condition or cooked prior to being combined for consumption. A problem with preparing a food product that is cooked is that not all of the food items are cooked or, if they are all cooked, are not cooked for the same amount of time and/or in the same manner (e.g., oven/stove versus microwave).
One example of a combined food product that includes one or more of the problems identified above is pie á la mode, which typically comprises a slice of pie that is served warm or hot with one or more scoops of ice cream, frozen yogurt and the like frozen food products (which are hereinafter collectively referred to as “ice cream”) on top. As well known, many flavors of pie (though typically fruit or at least fruit-based pie) and flavors of ice cream can be utilized as a food item ingredient for pie á la mode. When purchasing the ingredients to prepare pie á la mode, a person typically must buy an entire pie of a single flavor and an entire container, usually available in pint, quart or half-gallon sizes, of a single flavor of ice cream, such as cherry pie and vanilla ice cream. While this is satisfactory as long as everyone who will be eating pie á la mode likes the same combination of flavors, this creates problems if people like different flavors and/or different combinations of flavors. In addition, if the entire pie and/or quantity of ice cream are not eaten in one sitting, then these flavors will be left over and the next time pie á la mode is wanted the same combination will have to be eaten again. As can be appreciated by many food purchasers and food preparers, it is very rare that everyone who will eat the pie á la mode likes the same combination of flavors. One person may want a different flavor of pie, another may want a different flavor of ice cream and yet another person may want a completely different combination of pie and ice cream flavors.
Another problem with combined food products such as pie á la mode is that the pie food item is prepared differently the ice cream food item. Typically, the slice of pie for the pie á la mode is heated up in a microwave oven or other heating device. In contrast, the ice cream is served frozen, typically by being placed on top of the warmed/hot slice of pie. As such, the two food items cannot be prepared together as a single unit. Although the two food items can be sold and stored together as a frozen food product in a single container, they have to be separated prior to preparation to avoid prematurely melting the ice cream. Presently, there is no convenient packaging system or method to provide for an easy to use combined food product such as pie á la mode.
A variety of other combined food products can have one or more of the problems described above for the pie á la mode example. For instance, cake and ice cream is often desired by the consumer in a variety of different flavors of cake and ice cream. In addition, as with the pie á la mode combinations of cake and ice cream food items are usually prepared differently. Typically, the cake is warmed up by a microwave oven or other heating device or at least allowed to reach room temperature while the ice cream is served frozen. Another example combined food product having problems at least partially similar to those for pie á la mode is mashed potatoes and gravy. Although mashed potatoes are generally at least somewhat uniform in flavor, they can be prepared with a wide variety of different spices, butters and other ingredients that provide different flavoring for the mashed potatoes. Additionally, there are a wide variety of different flavors of gravy that can be utilized with the different flavors of mashed potatoes. Although both mashed potatoes and the gravy are heated, they usually required different heating times to reach the desired temperature for consumption. As will be readily appreciated by persons skilled in the art, there are a wide variety of combined food products that have problems and issues similar to those described above for the pie á la mode and mashed potatoes and gravy food products.
What is needed is an improved system for and method of preparing a combined food product that allows a person to purchase and prepare the food item ingredients which make up the combined food product in a wide variety of different combinations that require different methods of preparation. Such a system and method should be configured to allow a person to purchase the food item ingredients as a single unit, but in different combinations, and to easily and quickly separate the food items so he or she can prepare the combined food product therefrom. Preferably, the system and method should be configured to allow a person to transfer one or more food items to one or more other food items to enhance or otherwise augment the second food item(s) so as to result in the combined food product. The system and method should be adaptable to a wide variety of different sizes, shapes and types of containers that contain the food items and to being utilized with a wide range of food item ingredients and completed food products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe new system and method of the present invention provides the benefits and solves the problems identified above. That is to say, the present invention discloses a packaging system and method of use thereof that is useful for selling and preparing a combined food product from two or more separate food items. The packaging system and method of the present invention facilitates the sale and preparation of a food product that is a combination of two or more separate food items, particularly those combined food products that can be made from a wide variety of different food item combinations and/or which require different methods of preparation. In one embodiment, the packaging system and method of the present invention allows a person to purchase the food items as a single unit, separately prepare the food items in their own containers and then combine the food items together in one of the containers for consumption directly out of the container. In another embodiment, the food items can be provided in separate containers that can be removably joined for purchase as a unit and then separated for preparation of the combined food product. In either embodiment, a wide variety of food items can be utilized with the system and method of the present invention to produce a wide variety of different combined food products. Utilizing the packaging system and method of use thereof of the present invention allows a person to purchase and store a combination of food items, separately prepare the food items as appropriate for the food item and/or the food product, and then transfer one of the food items to the other food item to enhance or otherwise augment the second food item and, thereby, produce the combined food product for consumption. The packaging system and method of use thereof of the present invention is adaptable to a wide variety of food items and to containers of different sizes, shapes, compositions and types for storing and, in many configurations, preparing the food items so as to produce the combined food product.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the packaging system for selling and preparing a combined food product generally comprises a first container enclosing a first food item, a second container enclosing a second food item and a mechanism for disconnectedly joining the first and second containers together so the two containers may be sold and/or stored as a single unit. The second food item is selected so as to be combined with the first food item and to produce the combined food product, which is consumed. The first container has one or more sidewalls, a bottom wall at a lower end of the first container and a top wall at an upper end of the first container. Together, the sidewalls, bottom wall and top wall define an interior chamber that is sized and configured to enclose the first food item. The second container has one or more sidewalls, a bottom wall at a lower end of the second container and a top wall at an upper end of the second container. Together, the sidewalls, bottom wall and top wall of the second container define an interior chamber sized and configured to enclose the second food item. The joining mechanism interconnects one of the sidewalls, bottom wall and top wall of the first container to one of the sidewalls, bottom wall and top wall of the second container. In a preferred embodiment, each of the two containers have container tab that is attached to at least one of the top wall and the bottom wall of the respective containers to facilitate opening the container, typically by completely or at least partially removing the subject wall, to access the interior chamber of the container for removing the food item therefrom and/or preparing the food item or the combined food product. In one embodiment, the second container has a mechanism for discharging the food item from the interior chamber thereof. The discharging mechanism comprises an aperture in the top wall of the second container and a push disk disposed in the interior chamber of the second container between the top wall of the container and the second food item. The food item is discharged from the second container by applying force to an upper surface of the push disk in a manner that pushes the second food item out of the interior chamber, typically through an open lower end of the container. In another embodiment, at least one of the first container and second container is configured to be converted into a bowl-like receptacle or a plate-like receptacle that is adaptable for preparing and/or consuming the combined food product thereon. In one embodiment, the joining mechanism comprises a pull-tab connector device having a tape section configured to join the first container to the second container and a tab connected to the tape section to facilitate removal of the tape section from at least one of the first container and the second container. In another embodiment, the joining mechanism comprises internal threads on a peripheral wall disposed on one of the first container and the second container and external threads on the other of the first container and the second container so as to threadably connect the first container to the second container. In yet another embodiment, the joining mechanism comprises a hook members section on one of the first container and the second container and a loop members section on the other of the first container and the second container. In yet another embodiment, the joining mechanism comprises one or more slots on a peripheral wall disposed on one of the first container and the second container and cooperatively disposed pins on the other of the first container and the second container so as to lockedly connect the first container to the second container. A variety of other joining mechanisms can be utilized with the system of the present invention.
The method of preparing a food product of the present invention generally comprises the steps of: (a) providing a first container having a first food item therein and a second container having a second food item therein, with the first container and the second container having a joining means interconnecting one of the sidewalls, the bottom wall and the top wall of the first container to one of the sidewalls, the bottom wall and the top wall of the second container so as to disconnectedly join the first and second containers together; (b) separating the first container from the second container; (c) preparing as necessary the first food item in the first container and the second food item in the second container; and (d) combining the first food item with the second food item so as to produce the combined food product. In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of converting at least one of the first container and the second container into either a bowl-like receptacle or a plate-like receptacle prior to or after the step of preparing the food items. In another embodiment, the second container has a discharging means associated therewith for discharging the second food item from the second container and the method further comprises the step of pressing downward onto an upper surface of a push disk that is disposed in an interior chamber of the second container between a top wall thereof and the second food item therein so as to force the second food item out of the second container through an open lower end thereof before the step of combining the two food items together to form the combined food product.
Accordingly, one of the primary aspects of the present invention is to provide a new system and method for selling and preparing a completed food product that has the advantages discussed above and which overcomes the disadvantages and limitations associated with presently available systems and methods of preparing such food products.
It is also an important aspect of the present invention to provide a new packaging system and method of use thereof that provides a wide variety of different food items that can be easily and quickly combined by a food preparer as desired to produce a combined food product.
It is also an important aspect of the present invention to provide a packaging system and method of use thereof that substantially improves the ability of a person to purchase and prepare a food product from a combination of different food items in a manner that increases the variability of the final combined food product so as to be appealing to persons liking different food items in their food product.
It is an important aspect of the present invention to provide a packaging system which disconnectedly joins two containers to form a single packaging unit with each container having a food item that is either ready for use in the container or may be prepared in the container so the two food items can be combined to form a combined food product.
It is also an important aspect of the present invention to provide a packaging system and method of use thereof wherein each of two disconnectedly joined containers have food items that can be prepared in their own containers and then combined together in one of the containers to form a combined food product.
The above and other aspects and advantages of the present invention are explained in greater detail by reference to the attached figures and the description of the preferred embodiment which follows. As set forth herein, the present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, mode of operation and combination of the above presently described and understood by the claims.
In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments and the best modes presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:
With reference to the figures where like elements have been given like numerical designations to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present invention, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are set forth below. The enclosed text and drawings are merely illustrative of one or more preferred embodiments and, as such, disclose one or more different ways of configuring the present invention. Although specific components, materials, configurations and uses are illustrated, it should be understood that a number of variations to the components and to the configuration of those components described herein and in the accompanying figures can be made without changing the scope and function of the invention set forth herein. For instance, although the figures and description provided herein set forth certain examples of the system and method of the present invention, the food items used with the system and method and combined food products produced with the system and method, those skilled in the art will readily understand that these examples are being provided for the purpose of explaining the present disclosure and that the present invention is not so limited.
A packaging system that is beneficially configured for according to one or more embodiments of the present invention is shown generally as 10 in
With regard to the embodiment of
In the embodiment of
The first container 14 has one or more sidewalls 34, with one being utilized in the cylindrically-shaped configuration of the embodiment of
In the embodiment shown in
The second container 16 has one or more sidewalls 50, with one being utilized in the cylindrically-shaped configuration of the embodiment of
In the embodiment shown in
As will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a frozen food item such as ice cream or the like can make it difficult to remove the second food item 22 from the second container 16. To facilitate the removal of ice cream and other frozen food items from the second container 22 so it may be combined with the first food item 20 to form the combined food product 24, the system 10 of the present invention includes a discharging means 66 associated with the second container 16 that is configured to ease the discharge of the second food item 22 from second container 16. In the embodiment of
As set forth above, the pull-tab connector device 26 of the joining means 18 of the embodiment shown in
The embodiment of the system 10 of the present invention shown in
The embodiment of the system 10 of the present invention shown in
The embodiment of the system 10 of the present invention shown in
One advantage of the joining means of the embodiments of
During or after purchase, the first container 14 having the first food item 20 therein can be joined with the second container having the second food item 22 therein using the joining means 18 associated with the two containers 14/16. Even though the food items 20/22 are purchased separately, they can be joined for storage in the freezer, refrigerator or cabinet, as may be appropriate, for ease of later preparing the combined food product 24. If desired, the store or other entity selling the food items 20/22 can sell the food items 20/22 for one price if purchased separately from the other food item 20/22 (e.g., if purchase only the slice of pie) and for a discounted price if the purchaser buys a matched set of food items 20/22. Various other purchaser incentive programs can be offered by the entity selling the food items.
A number of modifications can be made to the packaging system 10 of the present invention described above. For instance, a wide variety of different types of joining means 18 can be utilized to disconnectedly join the first container 14 and the second container 16 together. In addition to the configurations set forth above, the joining means 18 can comprise cooperatively configured components that allow the two containers 14/16 to be slidably joined together or to be connected by snaps or snap-like mechanism, zipper-like mechanisms (such as used on frozen juice cans), other types of tape or tape-like devices and the like. The configuration and use of these other types of joining means 18 are generally well known in the art.
In addition to the foregoing, the containers 14/16 or a portion thereof, such as the inner surfaces of the sidewalls 34/50 and/or bottom walls 40/56 can be made out of or covered, coated, layered or otherwise provided with material that facilitates preparation of the food items 20/22 therein in a manner that is typically considered desirable for the subject food items 20/22. For instance, the inner surface of the one or more of the top, bottom or sidewalls of either or both the first 14 and/or second 16 containers can be provided with material that facilitates browning of all or a portion of the food item 20/22 when it is cooked in the microwave. Other modifications can be made to one or more containers 14/16 utilized with the packaging system 10.
One embodiment of a method 12 of utilizing the packing system 10 of the present invention is set forth in
In one embodiment, container 14/16 is configured to be converted into a bowl-like receptacle 48 or a plate-like receptacle 90 so the person eating the combined food product 24 can eat it without having to utilize a separate bowl, plate or other receptacle. Prior to consuming the combined food product 24, the two food items 20/22 must be combined together by removing at least one of these food items 20/22 from its container 14/16. Depending on the food item 20/22 and how it was prepared, the food item 20/22 can be scooped out, poured from, scraped out or otherwise removed from its container 14/16. In one embodiment, at least one of the containers 14/16 is provided with a discharging means 66 to assist in discharging the food item 20/22 from its container 14/16. As set forth above, the discharging means 66 can comprise an aperture 68 in the top wall 58 of the second container 16 and a push disk 70 in the interior chamber 60 of the second container 16 between the inside surface of the top wall 58 and the second food item 22. The user pushes downward through the aperture 68 to drive the push plate 70 down in a manner that forces the second food item 22 out of the interior chamber 60 of the second container 16. Other discharging means 66 can be utilized with the system 10 and method 12 of the present invention.
As will be readily appreciated by persons who are skilled in the art, the combined food product 24 examples of pie á la mode and mashed potatoes and gravy set forth above are provided for exemplary purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention in any manner. For instance, one or more of the containers 14/16 can include multiple food items inside the same interior chamber 44/60 thereof and/or the containers 14/16 can contain multiple interior chambers. For example the first food item 20 can comprise a slice of cake or other desert with sprinkles, chocolate chips, cookie crumbs or like desert-like enhancements in a pouch or other sub-container or the second food item 22 can be a flavored sauce that can be poured or spread on or over the first food item 20. In another example, the first food item 20 can comprise meat and/or other foods, such as turkey and dressing, in the same interior chamber 44 that can be combined with gravy (as the second food item 22) for the combined food product 24 of turkey, dressing and gravy. In yet another example, first food item 20 can comprise one or more vegetables and the second food item 22 can be a sauce, such as a cheese sauce or the like, that is poured on top of the vegetables to form the combined food product. Likewise, the first food item 20 can be one or more slices of meat and the second food item 22 can be vegetables to provide a meat and vegetables meal as the combined food product 24. As stated above, the system 10 can comprise more than two containers 14/16. For instance, a set of three containers can be provided to produce a completed food product 24 of meat, mashed potatoes and gravy, allowing different combinations of the type and flavor of these items. If desired, a fourth container can be joined to produce a completed food product 24 that is a meal of meat, potatoes, gravy and corn and/or other vegetables. The possible food items 20/22 and combined food products 24 adaptable for use with the system 10 and method 12 of the present invention are believed to be nearly limitless. One or more joining means 18 can be utilized to connect adjacent containers together, thereby allowing the purchaser and/or food preparer to customize a meal for a person based on the selection of different food items.
While there are shown and described herein a specific form of the invention, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but is susceptible to various modifications and rearrangements in design and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, it should be noted that the present invention is subject to modification with regard to any dimensional relationships set forth herein and modifications in assembly, materials, size, shape and use. For instance, there are numerous components described herein that can be replaced with equivalent functioning components to accomplish the objectives of the present invention.
Claims
1. A packaging system for selling and preparing a combined food product, said packaging system comprising:
- a first container enclosing a first food item, said first container having one or more sidewalls, a bottom wall at a lower end of said first container and a top wall at an upper end of said first container, said sidewalls, said bottom wall and said top wall defining an interior chamber sized and configured to enclose said first food item;
- a second container enclosing a second food item, said second container having one or more sidewalls, a bottom wall at a lower end of said second container and a top wall at an upper end of said second container, said sidewalls, said bottom wall and said top wall defining an interior chamber sized and configured to enclose said second food item, said second food item selected so as to be combined with said first food item to produce said combined food product; and
- joining means interconnecting one of said sidewalls, said bottom wall and said top wall of said first container to one of said sidewalls, said bottom wall and said top wall of said second container for disconnectedly joining said first container to said second container.
2. The packaging system of claim 1 further comprising a first container tab attached to at least one of said top wall and said bottom wall of said first container to facilitate opening said interior chamber of said first container and removing said first food item therefrom.
3. The packaging system of claim 1 further comprising a second container tab attached to at least one of said top wall and said bottom wall of said second container to facilitate opening said interior chamber of said second container and removing said second food item therefrom.
4. The packaging system of claim 1 further comprising means associated with said second container for discharging said second food item from said interior chamber thereof.
5. The packaging system of claim 4, wherein discharging means comprises an aperture in said top wall of said second container and a push disk in said interior chamber of said second container, said push disk disposed between said top wall and said second food item and configured to facilitate pushing said second food item out of said interior chamber when force is applied to an upper surface of said push disk through said aperture.
6. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first container and said second container is configured to be converted into a bowl-like receptacle or a plate-like receptacle that is adaptable for preparing and/or consuming said combined food product thereon.
7. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein said joining means comprises a pull-tab connector device having a tape section configured to join said first container to said second container and a tab connected to said tape section to facilitate removal of said tape section from at least one of said first container and said second container.
8. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein said joining means comprises internal threads on a peripheral wall disposed on one of said first container and said second container and external threads on the other of said first container and said second container so as to threadably connect said first container to said second container.
9. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein said joining means comprises a hook members section on one of said first container and said second container and a loop members section on the other of said first container and said second container.
10. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein said joining means comprises one or more slots on a peripheral wall disposed on one of said first container and said second container and cooperatively disposed pins on the other of said first container and said second container so as to lockedly connect said first container to said second container.
11. A packaging system for selling and preparing a combined food product, said packaging system comprising:
- a first container enclosing a first food item, said first container having one or more sidewalls, a bottom wall at a lower end of said first container and a top wall at an upper end of said first container, said sidewalls, said bottom wall and said top wall defining an interior chamber sized and configured to enclose said first food item;
- a first container tab attached to one of said top wall and said bottom wall of said first container to facilitate opening said interior chamber of said first container and removing said first food item therefrom;
- a second container enclosing a second food item, said second container having one or more sidewalls, a bottom wall at a lower end of said second container and a top wall at an upper end of said second container, said sidewalls, said bottom wall and said top wall defining an interior chamber sized and configured to enclose said second food item, said second food item selected so as to be combined with said first food item to produce said combined food product;
- a second container tab attached to one of said top wall and said bottom wall of said second container to facilitate opening said interior chamber of said second container and removing said second food item therefrom; and
- joining means interconnecting one of said sidewalls, said bottom wall and said top wall of said first container to one of said sidewalls, said bottom wall and said top wall of said second container for disconnectedly joining said first container to said second container.
12. The packaging system of claim 11 further comprising an aperture in said top wall of said second container and a push disk in said interior chamber of said second container, said push disk disposed between said top wall and said second food item and configured to facilitate pushing said second food item out of said interior chamber when force is applied to an upper surface of said push disk through said aperture.
13. The packaging system of claim 11, wherein at least one of said first container and said second container is configured to be converted into a bowl-like receptacle or a plate-like receptacle that is adaptable for preparing and/or consuming said combined food product thereon.
14. The packaging system of claim 11, wherein said joining means comprises a pull-tab connector device, said pull-tab connector device having a tape section configured to join said first container to said second container and a tab connected to said tape section to facilitate removal of said tape section from at least one of said first container and said second container.
15. The packaging system of claim 11, wherein said joining means comprises internal threads on a peripheral wall disposed on one of said first container and said second container and external threads on the other of said first container and said second container so as to threadably connect said first container to said second container.
16. The packaging system of claim 11, wherein said joining means comprises a hook members section on one of said first container and said second container and a loop members section on the other of said first container and said second container.
17. The packaging system of claim 11, wherein said joining means comprises one or more slots on a peripheral wall disposed on one of said first container and said second container and cooperatively disposed pins on the other of said first container and said second container so as to lockedly connect said first container to said second container.
18. A method of preparing a combined food product, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a first container having a first food item therein and a second container having a second food item therein, said first container and said second container having a joining means interconnecting one of said sidewalls, said bottom wall and said top wall of said first container to one of said sidewalls, said bottom wall and said top wall of said second container for disconnectedly joining said first container and said second container together;
- b) separating said first container from said second container;
- c) preparing as necessary said first food item in said first container and said second food item in said second container; and
- d) combining said first food item with said second food item so as to produce said combined food product.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of converting at least one of said first container and said second container into one of a bowl-like receptacle and a plate-like receptacle prior to or after said preparing step.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein said second container has a discharging means associated therewith for discharging said second food item from said second container and said method comprises the step of pressing downward onto an upper surface of a push disk disposed in an interior chamber of said second container between a top wall thereof and said second food item therein so as to force said second food item out of said second container through an open lower end thereof before said combining step.
Type: Application
Filed: May 1, 2012
Publication Date: Nov 7, 2013
Inventor: Phillip Cooksey (Porterville, CA)
Application Number: 13/461,777
International Classification: B65D 81/32 (20060101); B65B 43/00 (20060101);