Pressure point food container, storage, and mixing system

Abstract

Closure systems for food containers, and methods for mixing foods in portable containers is disclosed, using new apparatus for closing portable containers to store and transport foods, and new processes for mixing those foods prior to final or on-site dispensing and use, in which the food mixing takes place within the container, generally prior to its opening, as chambers or compartments within a container are opened to other chambers or compartments within the same container by transmission of pressure or tension from the exterior of the container, to one or more points, lines, or channels in one or more walls of chambers within the container, thereby opening one or more channels between such chambers through which food, fluids, or materials may travel.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to closure systems for food containers, and methods for mixing foods in portable containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new apparatus and process for closing portable containers, for storing and transporting foods, and mixing those foods prior to final or on-site dispensing and use. The food mixing, like the storage and transport, takes place within the container, generally prior to its opening, as chambers within the container are opened to other chambers within the same container. The food mixing operation may utilize a variety of apparatus, but in each apparatus a user, from the exterior of the container, transmits pressure or tension to one or more points, lines, or channels in one or more walls of chambers within the container. The user thereby opens one or more channels between such chambers through which food, fluids, or other materials may travel. In some apparatus, chambers may ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0025] Different foods are placed within each compartment of the container of the second embodiment, and sealed within each compartment, for subsequent storage and transport. The foods within the container, in this embodiment, primarily include at least one liquid (with or without food additives) in the Lobe or Lobes of the Pouch, and at least one either solid or liquid food, or a combination of both solid and liquid foods, in the Main Compartment. Each Lobe may contain the same or dissimilar liquids. For example, Edible oil may be placed in one Lobe, and vinegar may be placed in the other Lobe, thereby producing a salad dressing for lettuce residing in the Main Compartment. The opening of the Pouch at the frangible portions of its Lobes therefore allows a liquid (or a liquid with food additive) to travel through the opening created by pressure at the frangible portion, thereby allowing such liquid, in response to the pressure so applied, to fall into the Main Compartment containing the other foods. Thus, using again the example of a salad with dressing, mixed greens or vegetables in the Main Compartment may be dressed immediately prior to use as a mixed salad, after storage or transport by the user. The user may thereby preserve the fresh character of the newly-dressed greens or vegetables, and the salad may therefore be consumed even after considerable time, or after traveling considerable distance, without any discernable wilting and prior to any decomposition of its ingredients.

[0051] A further principal object of the present invention is to provide a variety of containers by which foods may be stored and transported separately, and then mixed at a later time or at a remote location, to thereby keep such foods fresh.

Problems solved by technology

Processed foods, having relatively long shelf life when kept separate from other foods, have a greatly reduced shelf life when they are mixed with water or other fluids, or combined with fresh foods which have not been so treated.

While the inventions disclosed in these prior patents fulfill their respective objectives, these prior patents do not describe or suggest combination of foods prior to opening the container by application of pressure or tension which is transmitted to the container interior to one or more points, lines, or channels in one or-more walls of chambers within the container, thereby opening one or more channels between such chambers through which food, liquids, gels, or solids may travel.

No apparatus in the prior art has been designed to allow easy combination of foods in a portable container before opening the container merely by the application of tension, generally by pulling a tab or ring.

No apparatus in the prior art has been designed which allows a user to forcefully eject one or more foods into one or more other foods in a sealed container, or allows a user to agitate foods in a sealed container once foods are combined, to fully mix such foods according to the wishes of the user, all prior to opening the container, thereby limiting or eliminating loss of food from the container (and consequent mess) as is the case of mixing in an open container.

And, finally, no method in the prior art has been devised which accomplishes any of these desirable results in a single, portable, container, with or without multiple chambers.

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