Collapsible Elongated Container

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an elongated food container and method of use of same for maintaining the freshness and palatability of an elongated food product. The elongated food container includes a first segment with a base portion having an exterior surface for contacting a substantially flat support surface. The base portion has a length that is at least about 1.15 times longer than the base is wide with a first pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from the base portion, and with a first end wall joining the first pair of sidewalls of the first segment to the first base portion at a closed end of the first segment of the elongated container. The terminal portions of the first planar base portion and second pair of sidewalls of the first segment define a first opening at the open end of the first segment. The open end of the first segment has a predetermined exterior dimension. The elongated food container also includes a second segment having a second base portion for contacting a substantially flat support surface. The second base portion has a length that is at least about 1.15 times longer than the base is wide and a second pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from the second planar base portion. A second end wall joins the second pair of walls of the second segment to the second end wall at the closed end of the second segment of the elongated container. By pushing or pulling apart the first and second segments when telescopically mated, the user can lengthen or shorten the elongated food container to match the length of the food product contained therein as it is consumed over time.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the Invention[0001]The present invention is generally directed to containers for maintaining the freshness of food products. More particularly, the invention is directed to an elongated container that is particularly useful for preserving the palatability and freshness of narrow, elongated food products that are consumed over a period of multiple hours or multiple days.Description of the Prior Art[0002]There are a wide variety of plastic food storage containers currently available. A number of currently available plastic food storage containers have pleated sidewalls so that the container's sidewalls can be collapsed vertically to reduce the height of the container. The purpose of the pleating is to provide a collapsed, lower profile position to facilitate container storage when not in use and increased container volume when in its open position to store food. U.S. Pat. No. 7,654,402 issued to Kusuma et al. illustrates a typical prior art vertical...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention relates to an elongated food product container with two segments that can be telescopically mated to enclose an elongated food product. The container is designed to exclude excessive air from the interior to preserve the freshness of the food product and prevent rapid oxidation and dehydration. The container is economical to produce and can extend the length of time the food product remains palatable. The open ends of the segments have angled surfaces to facilitate mating and the segments are made of semi-rigid material that can deflect slightly outwardly in one direction and inwardly in the other. This allows for a great dimensional variance between the two segments.

Problems solved by technology

While the prior art collapsible containers are appropriate for a wide variety of food products, they are not effective for elongated, narrow food products such as baguettes, sausages, cheese logs, or sleeves of crackers.

Unfortunately, the relatively wide food containers such as shown in the Carmona PgPub would not keep an elongated product such as a baguette, sausage, cheese logs, stack of crackers, or stack of cookies sufficiently fresh over a period of multiple hours or days since they enclose too much air volume to prevent such elongated, narrow food products from drying out or becoming stale.

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