Stacked bowl

Abstract

A two-part food containment and waste handling system with an upper portion containing at least one food containment region, and a lower portion with at least one waste-handling region. The upper portion and lower potion fit together at an interface.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE[0001]The Applicant claims priority of his earlier filed Provisional Application, Ser. No. 60 / 886,446, filed Jan. 24, 2007.BACKGROUNDField of the InventionBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates generally to containers for food service and storage. More specifically, the present invention relates to food containers, particularly in stacked container arrangements that include a region for the disposal or handling of waste from food products.[0003]The use of stacked bowls arrangements to facilitate the service of food are well known in the art. Most stacked bowl devices known to date have an internal bowl to hold food for service or temporary storage and a second external bowl for holding waste products, ice, condiments, or other related items. For such devices, no direct means exists for transferring contents between the bowls; the wall between the two bowl portions is solid. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,294,657 to Flanagan discloses a soup bowl with an...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]An object of the present invention is to provide a two-part food containment and waste handling system with an upper portion containing at least one food containment region, and a lower portion with at least one waste-handling region. The upper portion and lower potion fit together at an interface. The apparatus has at least one aperture at the interface, which has a path from the food containment region to the waste handling region for transporting waste from the food containment region. In preferred embodiments, the aperture is positioned such that waste can readily pass or be actively transported to the waste handling region without contaminating the food containment region.

Problems solved by technology

For such devices, no direct means exists for transferring contents between the bowls; the wall between the two bowl portions is solid.

None of the above inventions provides a means for readily removing waster or readily separating the contents of the inner and outer compartments.

However, the contents of the inner bowl are not shielded from waste products during drainage and waste removal relies primarily on the efficacy of shear forces upon opening of the drain ports.

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