Distributable food containers

Abstract

Dispensable food container 10 includes a container body 11 having an interior for receiving dispensable food, and a container lid 13. Container body 11 has a base 15, an opening 17 facing base 15, and a foldable sidewall 16. When lid 13 is in a closed position, lid 13 closes and seals opening 16 in container body 11, and when lid 13 is in an open position, opening 16 in container body 11 is exposed for access to interior 12 of container body 11. Lid 13 has a dispensing opening 19 that communicates with interior 12 of container body 11 when lid 13 is in the closed position. In use, when lid 13 is in the closed position, container body 11 is collapsible by applying opposing pressure to lid 13 and base 15, causing sidewall 16 to collapse and allowing dispensable food contained in interior 12 of container body 11 to be forced through dispensing opening 19.

Description

Technical Field

[0003]

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to a food container for dispensing a fluid food (but not limited thereto) for use mainly by infants and young children. Therefore, the present invention has been mainly developed for dispensing pureed or mashed foods (such as fruits and vegetables), food pastes, smoothies, and soft or viscous fluid foods such as yogurt. Therefore, although it will be convenient to describe the present invention in relation to such uses, it should be understood that the present invention can be widely applied to all people who consume fluid foods, such as the elderly and sportsmen.

Background Art

[0002] The following discussion regarding the background art of the present invention is intended to facilitate the understanding of the present invention. However, it should be understood that the discussion does not admit that any aspect of the discussion was part of the common general knowledge of the art at the priority date of the present application, nor does it confess so.

[0003] Fluid foods for infants and young children are commercially available and are often sold in disposable "food pouches". These food pouches are plastic containers with an opening for dispensing and can squeeze out the fluid food inside the pouch through the opening. This dispensing opening is often configured so that an infant can place the food directly into the mouth from the food pouch by sandwiching the opening between the lips. The dispensing opening usually has a closable cap (usually a screw cap) that can close the food pouch and allows the food to be dispensed from the food pouch more than once.

[0004] The commercially available food pouches mentioned above are only disposable, which means that the pouch is discarded when the food inside the pouch is completely dispensed or used up. This has a harmful impact on the environment.

[0005] As an alternative to the disposable commercial food pouches mentioned above, there are reusable dispensing or squeezing containers. These can be refilled and cleaned after use for refilling and reuse. These containers are squeezing for the purpose of squeezing food out of the container, but also include a filling opening for filling liquid food into the container, and the filling opening is large enough to, for example, pour food into the container or scoop it with a spoon. These containers also include a dispensing opening from which food can be dispensed for supplying food, separate from the filling opening. The filling opening is often closed by a cover that also includes the dispensing opening. In some examples, the cover is attached around the filling opening by a screw attachment, and the dispensing opening includes a cap closure that is attached to the opening by a friction or further screw attachment. Examples of this type of food pouch include the reusable squeeze pouch by Infantino and the reusable squeezing pouch by Original Squeeze Company.

[0006] The drawbacks of reusable squeeze containers currently known to the applicant are that the filling openings for filling the containers are often small or narrow, making it difficult to pass food through the containers, sometimes requiring the use of a separate filling device or funnel. Furthermore, these squeeze containers are often difficult to clean properly, given that the inside of the container is usually only accessible through small or narrow openings, and they often include parts that trap food (such as undercuts), which are also difficult to access for cleaning purposes. Some reusable squeeze containers currently known to the applicant have yet another drawback: it can be difficult to squeeze out all the food from inside the container, and therefore significant contamination may be present in connection with their use.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a novel form of food container that can be used to distribute liquid foods and overcomes or mitigates the drawbacks of current forms of distributable food containers, or at least provides a useful alternative to those current forms of distributable food containers. [Overview of the project]

[0008] According to the present invention, a container for distributable food comprises a. a container body having an interior for holding distributable food, and b. a lid for the container. The container body has a base, an opening opposite the base, and side walls, the side walls extending between the base and the opening and being foldable. The lid closes the opening of the container body when closed and exposes the opening of the container body to allow access to the interior of the container body when open. The lid has a distribution opening, which communicates with the interior of the container body when the lid is closed. When in use, with the lid closed, the container body is foldable by applying pressure in opposite directions between the lid and the base, or by a person using the container sucking with the mouthpiece. This folds the side walls, allowing the distributable food inside the container body to be pushed out through the distribution opening.

[0009] One difference in the distributable food container according to the present invention is that the container body is foldable by folding the side walls with pressure applied in opposite directions to the lid and base. This differs from the prior art known to the applicant, in which the side walls fold due to pressure applied directly to the side walls. In that prior art, the side walls are relatively long, while the top and bottom of the container are relatively narrow, so the side walls are used to fold the food container. This is convenient for narrowing the side walls. However, in that prior art, the filling opening is located at the top of the container, which means that the size of the filling opening is limited so as not to be larger than the top where it is located. This effectively means that the filling opening is relatively small. As a result, it is difficult, or at least inconvenient, to fill the container by pouring or scooping food into it.

[0010] Furthermore, in food containers with relatively long side walls, pressure is generally applied to the middle portion of the side wall, so the food inside the container tends to be pushed towards both the distribution opening and the bottom of the container. While most of the food is discharged through the distribution opening, some remains trapped in the space between the pressured area and the bottom of the container, resulting in food waste.

[0011] In contrast, the distributable food container according to the present invention may have relatively short sides and a relatively wide base and opening. The opening has a larger area than the filling openings in the prior art known to the applicant, making it easier to fill the container and eliminating the need to use a funnel or other filling device. Furthermore, the ratio of the sides, base, and opening allows the container to be more stable than many of the prior art containers when placed on a flat surface such as a table or bench, so that in many cases it is not necessary to hold the container by hand or support it in other ways when filling. Also, the wide opening makes it easier to clean the inside of the container (the container body in the present invention). In addition, the lid of the food container is necessarily wide in order to close the opening of the container, and the wide lid and base are convenient for pressing them together to apply pressure.

[0012] Using relatively short sides is beneficial in ensuring that the sidewalls fold in an acceptable and controlled manner. Relatively short sides can be adjusted to fold roughly linearly or coaxially around the central axis rather than buckling laterally, so that the pressure applied to the lid and base makes them more likely to move directly toward each other rather than deform laterally toward each other. Therefore, the distance between the lid and base is generally short in the food container according to the present invention.

[0013] The ratio of the diameter of the opening of the container body lid to the height of the side wall in its unfolded state can be, for example, in the range of 1:1, 2:1, 2.5:1, or 3:1. In some embodiments of the present invention, the diameter of the opening of the container body is approximately 77 mm, while the height of the side wall in its unfolded state is approximately 30 mm. In other examples, the diameter of the opening is in the range of 60 mm to 100 mm, and the height of the side wall is in the range of 20 mm to 100 mm. The height of the side wall can be greater than the diameter of the opening of the container body lid, but this makes it difficult to control how effectively the side wall folds.

[0014] In the distributable food container according to the present invention, the side walls are foldable for distributing or discharging food through a distribution opening. When the side walls are folded, the internal volume of the container body is reduced, and the food inside the container body can be removed from the inside of the container body through the distribution opening. For this purpose, the side walls can be made foldable in any suitable way. For example, the side walls can be folded like a concertina to facilitate folding, or the side walls can be made foldable by being made of a flexible material. If the side walls are made of a flexible material, the lid and base can be made rigid or stiff so as not to fold under pressure applied to the lid and base. The side walls can be made of a different material from the base and lid, or even if made of the same material, they can be made of a different thickness than the base and lid, or the base and lid can be made stronger than the side walls. Thus, there are various options for making the side walls foldable, but as mentioned above, it is preferable that the side walls be relatively flexible, while the lid and the base of the container body are relatively rigid or hard. In this way, the side walls of the container body fold when the lid and base are pressed together, and the lid and base maintain their basic shape.

[0015] If the side walls are flexible, they can be folded by bending toward each other. In some embodiments of the present invention, a single fold allows the lid and base to move toward each other, reducing the internal space of the container body and folding the side walls to the extent necessary to dispense dispensable food from the food container. Furthermore, while the side walls are flexible, they may nevertheless possess resilience. This helps the side walls return to their pre-folded or unfolded state, and as a result, the side walls have the property of returning to their pre-folded or unfolded state. This makes it easier to fill the container with liquid food and prevents the container from folding under its own weight and dispensing food when simply placed on a table during filling or dispensing.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the container body comprises a flexible substrate forming the side walls and base, the base being reinforced or containing reinforcing materials to provide the required rigidity or stiffness. The container body can be formed in a composite manner. In this method, the flexible substrate forming the base and side walls is reinforced at the base with a rigid substrate. In this embodiment of the invention, the flexible substrate can be a flexible polymer such as silicone and can be formed in the shape of a pouch, cup, or bowl. The rigid substrate can be attached to the base with an adhesive, or co-molded to the base by co-molding or overmolding. In this method, the rigid substrate may be partially or completely embedded within the base of the flexible substrate. Other forms of attachment or connection can also be employed, for example, a releasable connection that allows the rigid substrate to be removed for purposes such as recycling, assembly, or cleaning.

[0017] The rigid substrate can be formed by any suitable method and, in some embodiments of the present invention, is formed as a disc. The rigid substrate may be formed from, for example, nylon, silicone that is harder or more rigid than the wall, or stainless steel if, for example, it is overmolded to a base. Alternatively, polypropylene or other hard or rigid food-grade polymers can be used. The disc can be in any suitable shape, such as square or circular, and the periphery of the disc may have an external shape or configuration for attachment to the flexible substrate by co-molding or overmolding. This external shape or configuration may be a groove or channel formed in the periphery of the disc.

[0018] In another embodiment of the present invention, the base of the flexible substrate is reinforced by a base that is thicker than the side walls. The base may include reinforcing ribs, for example, for reinforcement or to increase rigidity.

[0019] The container body can be formed from any suitable material, and in prototypes made to date, the container body is partially formed from silicone. In the above example, where the base of the container body is reinforced by a rigid substrate, the flexible substrate forming the base and side walls is formed from silicone having a rigid nylon substrate embedded in the base by co-molding. Thus, the container body is a composite component formed from silicone or other flexible polymer in the shape of a pouch, cup, or bowl, with a rigid substrate embedded in the base.

[0020] It should be noted that the side walls of the container body have been referred to using the plural expression "side walls." It should be understood that the side walls of a container body can be circular (annular), as one side wall may be present, rather than multiple side walls as might be present on a non-circular container body such as a square or rectangular container body. However, the expression "side walls" is used in this specification and other documents to cover both circular and non-circular container bodies, and this should be interpreted when considering the scope of the present invention.

[0021] The container lid can take any suitable form. Depending on the form, the opening of the container body is defined by a rim formed to engage in cooperation with the container lid. Thus, the container lid is connected to and closed by the rim. The rim can be an integral part of the container body, for example, a thicker portion of the side wall in the opening area to provide rigidity or strength. In this way, the rim can be formed integrally with the side wall, but rigidity or stiffness can be provided by making the rim much thicker than the side wall.

[0022] In another embodiment of the present invention, the rim includes or is defined by a collar attached to the side wall of the container body around or to form an opening, and the rim is harder or more rigid than the flexible side wall of the container body. The side wall of the container body can extend to the opening, and the rim can be attached to the side wall around the opening. Alternatively, the side wall can extend toward the opening but not to the opening, and the rim can be attached to the side wall and extend to the opening to form the opening.

[0023] The rim can also be formed to engage in cooperation with the lid of the container. The rim can do this in combination with the side wall of the container body or separately from the side wall. In some embodiments of the invention, the side wall of the container body extends to the opening, and the collar connects to the side wall around the opening, so the collar extends around the opening and outside the side wall defining the opening. The side wall may include a lip or flange that overlaps the top surface of the collar, which can assist in positioning the collar to connect with the side wall and provide a seal for a tight engagement with the lid, as described below.

[0024] The container lid can be separated from the container body or connected to the container body by a hinge connection or the like. In some embodiments of the present invention, the container lid is connected to the container body by a hinge connection and fixed or fastened to the container body in a closed state by a cooperating latch arrangement. The hinge connection can be made on the edge or area of ​​the edge of the container body. If the edge includes or is formed by a collar attached to the container body around or forming an opening, the lid may be hinged between the collar. The cooperating latch arrangement may also be formed between the lid and the collar. Preferably, the lid can be hinged completely away from the opening of the container body to allow maximum access to the opening for filling the container body with distributable food. The latch arrangement may include a snap-fit ​​connection. For example, a snap-fit ​​connection is possible, comprising a projection (e.g., tongue-shaped) provided on either the lid, container body, or collar, and an opening provided on the other of the lid, container body, or collar into which the projection can enter and latch between the projection and the opening. Other snap-fit ​​devices can also be employed, for example, a pair of protrusions that overlap each other in a nested and / or latched state.

[0025] The container lid can securely close the opening of the container, requiring force to move it to the open position. This has the advantage of preventing the container from easily opening when there is distributable food inside. The lid may have the hinged and latching mechanisms described above, but other connection devices can also be used. For example, the lid can be attached to the container body with screws or simply by friction connection. Once the container lid is closed, it can seal and close the opening of the container, preventing distributable food from leaking out of the container body. The seal can be achieved by friction engagement between the lid and a part of the container body that engages with the lid when closed, such as the edge of the container body around the opening. Appropriate sealing materials can be used for the cooperative parts of the container body and lid. For example, if the side wall includes a lip or flange covering the top surface of the collar, as described above, this can be sealed together with the opposing surface of the lid. Alternatively, an O-ring seal can be used, for example.

[0026] The lid has a distribution opening. The distribution opening communicates with the inside of the container body when the lid is closed, or is open to the inside of the container body. Therefore, the distribution opening may have an opening that is an inlet opening, which faces the inside of the container body. Distributable food in the container body is pushed towards and through the inlet opening when the container body is folded. As a result, the distributable food enters the distribution opening through the inlet to be distributed and discharged outside the container through the outlet, for example into an infant's mouth or onto a spoon. The distribution opening may have a passage between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and this passage may have any suitable shape.

[0027] The dispensing opening can be configured to be placed directly around the outlet opening so that an infant or other person using the container can receive the dispensable food directly from the dispensing opening. However, instead, the dispensing opening may be configured to receive an attachment. When the dispensable food exits through the outlet opening, it flows through such an attachment. Such an attachment may have, for example, the shape of a straw or a spoon.

[0028] The outer surface of the dispensing opening can be configured to be placed in the mouth. Thus, while dispensing food through the dispensing opening, the lips of an infant or other person using the container can fit easily around the outer surface and seal the outer surface. A preferred configuration of the dispensing opening is a diagonally arranged drinking mouth. This is to make it easier to feed because it provides an ergonomic position both when a parent holds it to feed a child and when the child eats by themselves. The angle of the drinking mouth can be about 50 - 70 degrees from the horizontal. Many prior art containers have a drinking mouth that is perpendicular to the plane of the opening of the container, that is, extends vertically when the container is stationary or upright on a horizontal surface.

[0029] When not using the container, a cap or closure can be provided to close the outlet opening of the dispensing aperture. Such a cap or closure can be used to prevent food that can be dispensed from the dispensing aperture from coming out during times other than when food is being provided. The cap or closure can be a friction fit or other type of fit, including a snap fit or screw type fit. The cap or closure can be attached to the container body or the lid of the container, so that the cap or closure is connected to the container and not forgotten. This can be a releasable connection. In some forms of the invention, the cap or closure is attached to the lid and cooperates with the lid when the cap or closure is removed from the closed position on the dispensing aperture to an open position, and by that cooperation, the cap or closure can be held in a certain position relative to the lid. This holds the cap or closure in one place and can prevent the cap or closure from loosening and annoying the person using the container or getting in the way when accessing the dispensing aperture. For this, the lid can include a lip, and during supply from the container, the cap or closure can engage under the lip with a slightly stretched (tensioned) tether member to securely position the cap or closure in place.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030] To enable a full understanding of the present invention, several embodiments will be described below with reference to the following drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a food container according to one aspect of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows the food container of FIG. 1 in a slightly open state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows the food container of FIG. 1 in a fully open state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the food container of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the food container of FIG. 1 containing food that can be dispensed. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the hinge region in the lid of the container. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the food container shown in Figure 1, where the side walls are partially folded, indicating the dispensable food that is being dispensed. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the food container in Figure 1, showing that the side walls are completely folded, indicating that the maximum amount of distributable food has been dispensed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] Figure 1 shows a food container 10 according to one aspect of the present invention. As is clear from the above description, the food container 10 is provided for dispensing liquid foods, such as those typically eaten by infants, through the dispensing opening of the container 10 by squeezing the container 10, as will be described later in this specification.

[0032] The food container 10 includes a container body 11 having an interior 12 (see Figure 2) for receiving distributable food, and a container lid 13.

[0033] The container body 11 has a base 15 and an opening 17 facing the base 15. The side wall 16 extends from the base 15 to the opening 17. As can be seen in Figure 2, the opening is defined by an edge 18.

[0034] In Figure 1, the lid 13 is shown in a closed position, closing the opening 17 of the container body 11. In Figure 2, the lid 13 is shown in an open position, exposing the opening 17 to allow access to the interior 12 of the container body 11. In Figure 3, the lid 13 is shown fully open, rotated to be sufficiently away from the opening 17 of the container body 11 to allow maximum access through the opening 17 for filling the interior 12 of the container body 11 with distributable food.

[0035] The lid 13 has a distribution opening 19 shown in Figure 4. The distribution opening 19 is covered by a cap or cover 20 in Figures 1 and 2. When the lid 13 is in the closed position as shown in Figure 1, the distribution opening 19 communicates with the interior 12 of the container body 11, or in other words, it is open to the interior 12 of the container body 11. Therefore, as will be described later in this specification, the distribution opening 19 is open to allow the distribution of distributable food from inside the container body 11.

[0036] The side walls 16 of the container body 11 are foldable. Referring to Figure 1, this means that when pressure is applied in opposite directions to the lid 13 and the base 15, as indicated by arrow A, the side walls 16 fold, resulting in a reduction in the internal volume 12 of the container body 11, which pushes out the distributable food inside 12 for consumption and allows it to exit through the distributing opening.

[0037] In the container 10 shown in the figure, the side walls are made of a flexible polymer such as silicone. In prototypes manufactured to date, the thickness of the side walls is approximately 0.5 mm to 3 mm in the foldable area of ​​the wall, and the Shore A hardness of the silicone is 30 to 70. By forming the side walls 16 in this way, the side walls can maintain their shape when there is no force or load to deform them, but can be easily folded when necessary. An advantage is that the side walls 16 automatically return to their original position when the pressure applied between the lid 13 and the base 15 is released, or the side walls 16 can automatically return to their original position after being slightly pushed in the opposite direction to arrow A applied to the base, as shown in Figure 1. The side walls 16 can easily return to the position shown in Figure 1.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4, the container body 11 comprises a base 15 and side walls 16. In the food container 10, the base 15 and side walls 16 are formed from a single flexible substrate such as silicone, as described above, into the shape of a pouch, cup, or bowl 21 as shown. The base 15 is reinforced with a rigid substrate, shown as a separate rigid disc 22 in Figure 4. In prototypes made so far, the disc 22 has been made of nylon.

[0039] In the food container 10, the disc 22 is formed to become an integral part of the base 15 of the container body 11 by overmolding or co-molding it onto the base 15 of the flexible pouch 21. This is shown in Figure 5, where it can be seen that the bottom surface of the disc 22 is exposed because the disc 22 is overmolded in its outer diameter, but the peripheral portion 23 of the disc 22 is captured within the base 15 of the pouch 21. As is clear from Figure 5, the disc 22 extends substantially over the entire area of ​​the base 15 of the pouch 21, extending almost perpendicularly or at least laterally to the side wall 16. This makes the base 15 of the container body 11 substantially rigid.

[0040] The lid 13 is also substantially rigid. The lid 13 can be formed from any suitable material such as polypropylene. This shows that both the lid 13 and the base 15 are rigid or have rigidity, while the side walls 16 are flexible. This means that, as pressure is applied to the lid 13 and the base 15 as shown in Figure 1, the side walls 16 fold, allowing the lid 13 and the base 15 to move toward each other, thereby reducing the volume of the interior 12 of the container body 11, and squeezing the distributable food inside 12 out of the container body 11 through the distribution opening 19. This sequence is shown in relation to Figures 5, 6 and 7, in which Figure 5 the food container 10 is in the closed state as shown in Figure 1 with the distributable food 25 placed inside the body. The distributable food 25 is placed inside 12 of the container body 11 when the lid 13 is in the fully open state as shown in Figure 3, and then the container 10 is closed so that the lid 13 is closed (as described later herein) to distribute the distributable food.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6, the lid 13 and the base 15 are pressed together, causing the side wall 16 to bend and fold back as shown. In this way, the internal volume 12 of the container body 11 is reduced, and the distributable food 25 is pushed into the distribution opening 19 and discharged from there.

[0042] Figure 7 shows the state where the base 15 of the container body 11 and the inner surface of the lid 13 are pressed together so that they come into contact with each other, and as a result the interior 12 of the container body 11 becomes even smaller, almost all of the distributable food 25 that was previously in the container body 11 is squeezed out from the distributable opening 19. Figure 7 shows the state where the lid 13 and the base 15 have moved as far as they can toward each other. At the point shown in Figure 7, no more food will be dispensed from the distributable opening 19, and therefore, it is time to open the container 10 again, wash it, and refill it with new or fresh distributable food.

[0043] Referring to Figure 4, the figure shows the food pouch 21, the disc 22, the lid 13, and the cap 20, respectively. Figure 4 further shows the collar 27. The collar 27 is attached to the upper end of the pouch 21 of the container body 11 around the opening 17. The collar 27 is configured to engage with the container lid 13 in both the open and closed positions, and the collar 27 is more rigid or harder than the side wall 16. The collar 27 can be made of, for example, polypropylene.

[0044] The collar 27 is attached to the upper part of the side wall 16, and its cooperation is evident in Figures 5-7. As shown in Figures 4-7, the pouch 21 has a lip 29. The lip 29 extends laterally with respect to the generally upright orientation of the side wall 16 and overlaps the upper edge 30 of the collar 27. Figures 5-7 further show that the collar 27 includes an inwardly extending lip 32, which is received in an outwardly facing groove 34 of the side wall 16. The receipt of the lip 32 in the groove 34 connects the collar 27 to the side wall 16 around the opening 17. The lip 32 and groove 34 are annular, but they could also be shorter sections of groove and lip.

[0045] Thus, the collar 27 connects to the side wall 16 of the pouch 21 and includes a hinge connection 36 that connects to a complementary hinge portion 38 of the lid 13 (see Figures 3 and 5-7), and a latch 40 for receiving into an opening 42 formed in the lid 13. Therefore, the lid 13 can snap into place with the collar 27. The latch 40 and the opening 42 are shown separately in Figures 2 and 3, but the cooperation between the latch 40 and the opening 42 is shown in Figures 5-7. When the lid moves from the open position in Figures 2 and 3 to the closed position in Figure 1, portion 44 of the skirt 46 rests on the latch 40 until the latch 40 enters the opening 42, after which the lid 13 is securely closed to the collar 27. To release the latch 40 from the opening 42 in order to open the lid 13, portion 48 (see Figures 1, 2 and 5) can be pushed inward to disengage the latch 40 from the opening 42, after which the lid 13 can be rotated away from the closed position.

[0046] In the food container 10, the lid 13 seals a portion of the container body 11 when closed. Referring to Figure 3, the lid 13 includes an annular groove G defined by an annular flange 50 and a skirt 46. As shown in Figures 5-7, the lip 29 of the side wall 16 is positioned within the groove G when the lid 13 is closed. A seal is formed when the outer surface of the annular flange 50 contacts the opposing surfaces of the upper end of the side wall 16. This seal can be a piston seal formed by the formation of an annular groove 51. The annular groove 51 forms a flexible annular flange 53 (see Figure 5A) on the top of the silicone pouch 21. The annular flange 53 flexes and engages with the flange 50 when the lid 13 is closed. The seal can be improved by the flange 50 pressing or pinching the upper end of the side wall 16 against the lip 32. This engagement allows the lid 13 to seal the container body 11, preventing the distributable food 25 from leaking through the lid 13.

[0047] The distribution opening 19 has a tapered outer shape and is designed to engage with the user's lips when pressure is applied to the lid 13 and base 15 to dispense distributable food 25 from the inside 12 of the container body 11 through the distribution opening 19. Figures 5-7 show the internal passage 52 passing through the distribution opening 19, and Figures 6 and 7 show the flow of distributable food 25 through the passage 52. Note that Figures 5-7 show one orientation of the food container 10 while the lid 13 and base 15 are pressed or pushed together to dispense food 25 through the distribution opening 19, but it should be understood that the container 10 can be used in any orientation convenient for the user. Typically, the lid will engage with one or more of the user's fingers and the base will engage with the thumb of the same hand. However, the reverse is also easily applicable, and on the other hand, especially in the case of infants, both hands can be used to apply the necessary pressure to the lid 13 and base 15.

[0048] The outer surface of the lid 13 is concave, and this shape was intentionally applied so that the fingers of a person squeezing the container 10 can naturally press towards the center of the lid 13, thus making it easier to apply further central pressure to the lid 13. On the other hand, the inner convex surface of the lid 13 facilitates the passage of the distributable food 25 towards the distribution opening 19, as shown in Figure 7.

[0049] While some figures show the cap 20 positioned above the distribution opening 19, Figures 5-7 show the cap positioned away from the distribution opening 19, spaced apart from it, and positioned so as not to obstruct the lips of the mouth from touching the opening 19. Thus, in Figures 5-7, the cap 20 engages or clips under the tip 54 in portion 44 of the skirt 46 of the lid 13. For this purpose, the cap 20 includes a lip 56 which seats behind or adjacent to the inner surface of the tip 54, holding the cap 20 in place while the engagement is maintained. To maintain the engagement, the cap needs to be prompted to engage with the tip 54, which is achieved by a connecting member 58 having a certain length, thereby allowing a load to be applied to the cap 20 that facilitates maintaining the cap 56 in the engaged position in Figures 5-7.

[0050] To further seal the distribution opening 19 when the cap 20 is attached to the opening 19, the cap 20 includes a central stopper 59 for insertion into the passage 52.

[0051] The connecting member 58 is connected to the lid 13 in any suitable manner, and in Figure 2, the opening 42 is shown to have a central slot or groove 60. The central slot or groove 60 extends upward from the opening 42 and frictionally receives the neck 62 of the connecting member (see Figure 4) and captures the head 64 (see Figure 4) within the groove G. On the opposite side of the slot 60, the connecting member includes a shoulder 66 (see Figures 4 and 5). The shoulder 66 and the head 64 are easily pushed into either side of the skirt 46 around the slot 60, thereby fixing the connecting member in place as it is connected to the skirt 46. However, it will be obvious that the connecting member can be removed from the slot 60 for cleaning purposes, and once the head is in the opening 42, the connecting member can be completely removed from the lid 13.

[0052] The operation of the food container 10 should be clear from the diagrams in the above discussion, especially Figures 5-7. Briefly, with the food container 10 closed as shown in Figure 1, the latch 40 can be removed from the opening 42, the lid 13 can be lifted and rotated around the hinges 36 and 38 to the fully open state shown in Figure 3, thereby filling the container 10 with suitable dispensable food. For example, soluble foods, purees, mashed foods, food pastes, smoothies, or yogurt can be scooped or poured into the interior 12 of the container body 11, and once full, the lid 13 can be secured with the latch to return it to the closed state.

[0053] Container 10 can be stored until it is ready for use. When ready, the user of container 10 removes the cap 20 from the position shown in Figure 1. Here, the cap 20 closes the outlet 68 of the distribution opening 19 (see Figure 5). After moving the cap 20 to the fixed position shown in Figures 5-7, the outlet 68 of the distribution opening 19 is inserted into the opening, applying pressure to the lid 13 and base 15 of container 10, pushing them toward each other. As a result, the side walls 16 are folded and crushed as shown in Figures 6 and 7, reducing the internal volume 12 of the container body 11, so that the distributable food 25 is pushed out from the inlet 70 of the passage 52 of the distribution opening 19 through the passage 52 to the outlet 68. Pressure continues to be applied between the lid 13 and the base 15 until the distributable food 25 is sufficiently distributed, or until the two parts of the container 10 (lid 13 and base 15) engage as shown in Figure 7, and at that point the side wall 16 is fully folded and completely collapsed as shown in Figure 7. In some embodiments of the present invention, once the pressure is released from the lid 13 and base 15, the side wall 16 automatically returns to an unfolded state as shown in Figure 5 due to the elasticity of the side wall material, but in other embodiments of the present invention, it may be necessary to open the lid 13 from the container body 11 and push down the base 15. Furthermore, the base 15 may include a small external handle that allows the base 15 to be pulled downward from the lid 13 while the lid 13 is still closed.

[0054] Container 10 improves upon the configuration of the prior art recognized by the applicant by providing a large opening 17 for introducing distributable food 25 into the interior 12 of the container body 11. Furthermore, as is clear from the figures, the components of container 10 can be easily cleaned if there is sufficient access to the interior 12 and the lid 13 when the lid 13 is open. Also, as is clear from Figure 7, container 10 can be almost completely emptied of the container body 11 with distributable food 25, which is a result of the lid 13 and base 15 being relatively wide compared to the height of the side walls 16. Container 10 is accessible to both infants and other people who will use container 10.

[0055] Wherever the terms “comprise,” “comprises,” “composed,” or “comprising” are used in this specification (including the claims), they shall be construed as identifying the presence of the features, integers, steps, or parts described herein, but not as excluding the presence of one or more other features, integers, steps, or parts.

[0056] Those skilled in the art should understand that the invention described herein is open to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is understood that the present invention includes all such variations and modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A reusable and distributable food container, a. A container body having an interior for holding distributable food, b. Equipped with a lid for the container, The container body has a base, an edge that faces the base and defines an opening substantially parallel to the base, and a side wall, the side wall extending between the base and the opening and being foldable. The diameter of the opening is equal to or greater than the height of the side wall when it is not folded. In the unfolded state, the collar surrounds at least a portion of the side wall adjacent to the edge, and the collar has a lip that extends inward. The container lid, when closed, seals the opening of the container body, and when open, exposes the opening of the container body to allow access to the inside of the container body. The container lid has a distribution opening, which communicates with the inside of the container body when the container lid is closed. The rim of the container body is located between the container lid and the lip extending inward from the color when the container lid is closed. A container in which, when the lid of the container is closed during use, the container body is foldable by applying pressure in opposite directions to the lid and base, or by suction at the distribution opening of the container lid, thereby folding the side walls and pushing out the distributable food inside the container body through the distribution opening, so that the base comes into contact with the inner surface of the container lid.

2. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 1, wherein the container body is compositely formed, a flexible base material defines the base and side walls, and the flexible base material is reinforced at the base with a rigid base material.

3. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 2, wherein the flexible base material is a flexible polymer and is molded into the shape of a pouch, cup, or bowl. A container in which a fold is formed in the side wall during dispensing, thereby causing the lid and base of the container to move toward each other, reducing the internal size of the container body and folding the side wall to the extent necessary to discharge the dispensable food from the reusable and dispensable food container.

4. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 1, wherein the container lid can be pressed into the rim to form a seal.

5. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 1, wherein the lid of the container is rotatably connected to a collar, the collar being harder or more rigid than the side wall of the container body, and the collar being connected to the side wall by an inwardly extending annular lip in the collar being received in an outwardly extending annular groove in the side wall.

6. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 1, wherein the lid of the container is connected to the collar by a hinge connection, and the hinge connection allows the lid of the container to be completely separated from the opening of the container body in order to fill the inside of the container body with distributable food.

7. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 1, wherein the side walls are folded within a collar, and when the side walls are not folded, the collar surrounds at least a portion of the side walls, and the lid of the container is connected to the container body by a hinge connection between the lid of the container and the collar.

8. A container for distributable food according to claim 1, wherein the distributable opening has an outlet opening from which the distributable food can flow out for consumption, and a closure is provided for closing the outlet opening of the distributable opening, and the closure is connected to the lid of the container by a connecting member which is detachably connected to the lid of the container.

9. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 1, wherein the distributing opening is a drinking spout positioned at an angle of 50 to 70 degrees from the horizontal, thereby providing an ergonomic position that makes it easy to feed, both when a parent holds the container while feeding a child and when the child eats from it themselves.

10. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 1, wherein the base is configured to engage with one or more fingers or thumbs of the user's hand and the lid of the container is configured to engage with another or more fingers or thumbs of the user's hand, thereby allowing the user to apply opposing pressure to the lid and base of the container with their hand to fold the side walls and push the distributable food inside the container body through the distributing opening.

11. A reusable and distributable food container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein when the container lid is closed, the flange of the container lid presses or clamps the upper end of the side wall against an inwardly extending lip of the collar.

12. A reusable and distributable food container, a. A container body having an interior for holding distributable food, b. Equipped with a lid for the container, The container body has a base, an edge that faces the base and defines an opening substantially parallel to the base, and a side wall, the side wall extending between the base and the opening and being foldable. In the unfolded state, the collar surrounds at least a portion of the side wall adjacent to the edge, and the collar has a lip that extends inward. The container lid, when closed, seals the opening of the container body, and when open, exposes the opening of the container body to allow access to the inside of the container body. The container lid seals the opening of the container body by having the rim of the container body between the lip that extends inward from the collar and the portion of the container lid that is inside the rim when the container lid is closed. The container lid is connected to the collar and has a dispensing opening from which dispensable food can flow out for consumption, and the dispensing opening communicates with the inside of the container body when the container lid is closed. When the container lid is closed during use, the container body is foldable by applying opposing pressure to the lid and base, or by suction at the dispensing opening of the lid by the user of the reusable and dispensable food container, thereby folding the side walls and pushing out the dispensable food inside the container body through the dispensing opening. A container in which the base of the container body moves toward the inner surface of the container lid when the side walls are folded within the container.

13. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 12, wherein the diameter of the opening of the container body is equal to or greater than the height of the side wall when not folded.

14. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 12, wherein the container body is compositely formed, a flexible base material defines the base, and the flexible base material is reinforced at the base with a rigid base material. The flexible base material is a flexible polymer, which is molded into a pouch, cup, or bowl shape, and is used as a container.

15. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 12, wherein the lid of the container is hinged to a collar, the collar is connected to a side wall by an inwardly extending annular lip in the collar being received in an outwardly extending annular groove in the side wall of the container body, the container body is separable from the lid of the container, and the lid of the container includes a drinking spout having a distributing opening.

16. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 12, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the side wall includes a region facing and spaced apart from the collar.

17. A container for serving reusable and distributable food according to claim 12, wherein when the side walls are folded, a fold is formed, and the side walls are folded parallel to the collar to such an extent that the lid and base of the container move toward each other, reducing the internal size of the container body and allowing the distributable food to be discharged from the container of reusable and distributable food.

18. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 12, wherein the base is configured to engage with one or more fingers or thumbs of the user's hand and the lid of the container engages with another or more fingers or thumbs of the user's hand, thereby allowing the user to apply opposing pressure to the lid and base of the container with their hand to fold the side walls and push the distributable food inside the container body through the distributing opening.

19. A reusable and distributable food container according to claim 12, wherein the distributing opening is a drinking spout positioned at 50 to 70 degrees from the horizontal, thereby providing an ergonomic position that makes it easy to feed, both when a parent holds the container while feeding a child and when the child eats from it themselves.

20. A reusable and distributable food container according to any one of claims 12 to 19, wherein when the container lid is closed, the flange of the container lid presses or clamps the upper end of the side wall against an inwardly extending lip of the collar.

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