Food containers and food container storage system

Abstract

The invention relates to a food container (1) with a base (13), side walls (11a, 11b, 11c), and a removable lid (3) which has at least one locking hinge with a tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) which is assigned to one of the side walls (11a, 11b, 11c) and can thus be brought into engagement with the side wall (11a, 11b, 11c) to close the food container. When the food container (1) is closed by the lid (3), an edge of the tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) directed away from the lid (3) is spaced from the side wall (11a, 11b, 11c) in such a way that a free space (35b, 35d) is formed between the side wall (11a, 11b, 11c) and the edge of the tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) directed away from the lid (3).

Description

The invention relates to a storage system for food containers. As a rule, foods are stored in storage containers in a household. These containers are stored in refrigerators and freezers, in dispensers and in storage cabinets. The storage surfaces in the kitchens become increasingly comprehensive and a plurality of different foods are generally stored in various places.Food containers for storing foods are generally known, for example from the publications US 2009 / 0218360 A1 and DE 20 2023 000 102 U1.Sometimes, however, these stored foods have been forgotten. This can currently only be controlled / prevented in a rudimentary manner with app support, since, among other things, the maintenance of the data via app for less technical affine users is time-consuming or not desired at all. The most common solution currently is to store food in containers. A possible identification of the stored foods can be effected by transparency of the containers. However, in particular in the case of frozen foods, the foods change optically, which makes optical detection difficult. In most cases, a clear assignment of the content is possible only with an additional inscription of the container.Conventional possibilities for labeling by self-adhesive and writable stickers are not a good solution, since these lose adhesion and are lost in certain storage situations, for example during freezing, if the adhesive loses its properties due to the low temperatures. Moreover, it is often not possible to remove such labels without leaving any residue. Often, residues of the adhesive and / or the label remain on the food container. Moreover, the stickers are usually made of paper and adhesive compounds which are difficult to recycle. As a known alternative, it is appropriate to label the food containers directly, which can, however, lead to problems in applying the label or removing the label after use.Another problem of known storage systems is that food containers of such storage systems are not adapted in terms of their size and shape to the interior equipment of a refrigerator or freezer. This has the consequence that the said devices cannot be used fully and thus an unused empty space and thus an increased energy requirement for cooling this empty space are produced.Inscription labels are available which can also be colored. An example is Torchmann, which offers labels of this type in different forms and colors. The company Ikea likewise offers storage containers with adhesive labels.This involves the problem that the adhesive labels can be released, especially when stored in refrigerators or freezers. This can be caused by moisture (condensation moisture), so that an adhesive label is difficult to apply, or because the adhesive used loses adhesion at low temperatures. Thus, an unambiguous assignment of the content of such an insufficiently labeled food container is only made more difficult or no longer possible at all. Moreover, weathering of the inscription can occur during prolonged storage, in particular in freezers, so that the inscription is no longer easily readable.In addition, a problem arises that detachment of the adhesive labels is possible only with difficulty under certain circumstances, since adhesive residues can remain on the cover, or residues of the label can remain in a dishwasher.Containers (plastic boxes) are known under the name Twin Fresh & Save, which have a cover on which a QR code is attached. The foods stored in the individual plastic boxes can be managed via an app offered by the company Twin. Since this is a product supply retrievable from the Internet, a publication proof of this prior art is dispensed with.The use of such an optical interface offers many advantages. For example, the stored food items can be clearly detected and managed. Accordingly, it is possible to create a shopping list on the basis of linked recipe data. However, the management of the food products by means of an app, in comparison with simple inscription, means, among other things, an increased time expenditure which is usually incurred by less technical users. It is thus to be assumed that such users again use the less well-suited adhesive labels or write them directly onto the container.In addition, it is difficult in known containers to accommodate them in a space-saving manner in predetermined racks and holders in refrigerators and freezers, since provided receiving spaces for such containers are usually not aligned with the container size. Therefore, skewness of the food container, waste of storage space and thus unnecessary energy consumption can occur.Thus, there is a need for a food container which is repeatedly simple to mark and can be accommodated in a space-saving manner.According to the invention, this problem is solved by a bearing system having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are evident from the following dependent claims.A food container according to the invention has a base, side walls and a removable lid. The removable lid has at least one locking hinge with a tab which is associated with one of the side walls and can be brought into engagement with the side wall for closing the food container. In a state of the food container closed by the lid, an edge of the tab directed away from the lid is spaced apart from the side wall such that a free space is formed between the side wall and the edge of the tab directed away from the lid.Due to the free space, a wall of a storage compartment can be arranged under the tab, whereby the tab itself can be recognized by a user who is looking at the storage compartment. Thus, all information attached to the flap is accessible at any time without the container having to be removed from the storage compartment.Advantageously, the flap may extend from the lid for a predetermined length parallel to its associated side wall, in order to then remove it from the side wall.According to this embodiment, a secure closure of the food container is ensured, while the free space is nevertheless formed.Advantageously, the flap can have a projection directed towards the side wall on its edge directed away from the cover.Such a protrusion is good for manually gripping the tab and thus removing the lid from the food container.Advantageously, the protrusion can be spaced apart from the side wall.According to this configuration, it is ensured that the clearance is not restricted by the protrusion.Advantageously, the flap can have a clamp which engages around the edge of the flap which is directed away from the cover.Such a clamp can be dyed as desired or can also be transparent. By assigning a specific color to specific properties of the foods stored in the food container, it can be immediately recognizable to the user what type of food is in the food container.Advantageously, the clamp can be designed to be removable and / or displaceable along the edge directed away from the cover.Thus, not only by the color of the clamp, but also by the position of the clamp, an assignment to the contents of the food container can be made. In addition, several clamps can be attached next to each other on the flap, which increases the number of coding possibilities. It is also possible for a plurality of clamps to be arranged next to one another and for one or a few clamps to be removed again. The additional void(s) thus results in an increase in the number of possible combinations. Moreover, in the case of brackets made of a transparent material, it is possible to remove them and to apply a marked piece of paper between the bracket and the tab so that the marking is readable through the transparent bracket.Advantageously, the clamp can engage with a projection by means of a positive fit, which is formed on the edge directed away from the cover.This configuration prevents accidental detachment or dropping of the clip, so that the coding can be reliably maintained.Advantageously, an optical interface, preferably in the form of a QR code, can be formed on the tab.By providing a QR code on the tab, a user can use an app to manage the contents of the food container, alternatively or in addition to the coding described above.The storage system according to the invention for food containers has a storage compartment. The storage compartment can be inserted into a wall, a cabinet or a cabinet door, preferably a door of a refrigerator. The storage compartment has at least one base and a front wall. At least one food container such as the one described above can be inserted into the storage compartment. An edge section of the front wall of the storage compartment is accommodated in the free space between the side wall of the food container and the edge of the tab directed away from the lid.Thus, the tab overlaps the wall of the storage compartment, whereby the clip attached to the edge of the tab, any inscription attached underneath it, and / or a QR code present on the tab can be reliably detected without it being necessary to remove the food container from the storage compartment.A cabinet, in particular a refrigerator, freezer or refrigerated freezer, according to the invention has a receptacle for using such a storage system. The receptacle can advantageously be provided in a door of the cabinet.Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment. The figures show: FIG. 1 is a front view of a food container according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a side view of a food container according to the invention; FIG. 3 is a front view of another embodiment of a food container according to the invention; FIG. 4 is a side view of another embodiment of a food container according to the invention; FIG. 5 is a front view according to another embodiment of a food container according to the invention; FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a door with a storage system for food containers according to the invention; FIG. 7 is a side view of a storage container according to the invention; and FIG. 8 shows a side view of a food container according to the invention in a storage system.Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8.FIG. 1 is a longitudinal side view of a food container 1. the food container 1 has four side walls 11 a, 11 b, 11 cand 11 dto a bottom 13. The food container 1 is essentially an open-top rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular rectangular. A cover 3 serves to close the food container 1. the cover 3 is substantially rectangular and is provided to be placed on upper edges of the side walls 11 a, 11 b, 11 cand 11 dof the food container 1. On the sides of the lid 3 there are provided tabs 31a, 31b, 31c and 31d hinged to the lid 3. To close the food container 1, the flaps 31 a, 31 b, 31 cand 31 dare folded against the side walls 11 a, 11 b, 11 cand 11 d. The tabs 31 a, 31 b, 31 cand 31 dcommodate in form-fitting engagement with counterparts provided on the side walls 11 a, 11 b, 11 cand 11 dby means of corresponding means. It is thus excluded that the tabs 31 a, 31 b, 31 c, 31 dappear unintentionally again into an open position after closing.Thus, the food container one is reliably closed by folding over the flaps 31 a, 31 b, 31 cand 31 d.A QR code 53 b, 53 cis attached to each of the brackets 31 a, 31 b, 31 c, 31 d. It is thus possible to detect and trigger at least one QR code independently of a position in a storage compartment.The tabs 31 a, 31 b, 31 c, 31 drun proceeding from the cover parallel to their associated side wall 11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d, in order to buckle from the edge of the food container 1 after a predetermined length has been reached. This is particularly evident from FIG. 7, where the just described predetermined length h D is evident. After reaching this predetermined length h D the tab 31 a, 31 b, 31 c, 31 dis bent away, as viewed in a side view, in order to move further and further away from the associated side wall 11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 dof the food container 1. This creates a free space between the tab and the associated side wall of the container. The height of the free space is from the bottom of the food container 1 as viewed in F, as can likewise be seen from FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, the free space 35 dbetween the tab 31 dand the side wall 11 dis illustrated in the form of a gray field.It should additionally be pointed out that the closure mechanism for closing the food container 1 by folding the tabs 31 a, 31 b, 31 cand 31 dis not visible from the schematic figures.Moreover, a bead-like projection 33 a, 33 b, 33 c, 33 dis formed on each inner side facing the respective side wall 11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 dof the tab 31 a, 31 b, 31 c, 31 d. This bead-like projection 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d serves to easily engage the tab 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d to open it. This is shown schematically in FIG. 7.As can be seen from FIG. 8, this bead-like projection 33 a, 33 b, 33 c, 33 dis also used to positively retain a clip 55 b, 57 b, 57 c,which engages around the edge of the tab 31 a, 31 b, 31 c, 31 d,in such a way that the clip 33 bis prevented from slipping off the edge of the tab 31 b(in FIG. 8, the clip 33 bis shown on the tab 31 bin a side view).As can be seen from FIGS. 3 to 5, these brackets 55b, 57b, 57c can be formed with different widths and colours. Thus, the clip 55b extends almost the entire length of the tab 31b in Fig. 3, while the clip 57c in Fig. 4 extends only a short distance. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the clamp 57 cis arbitrarily displaceable along the tab 31 c. This is indicated by the double arrow in FIG. 4.The clip shown in Fig. 5 has an appearance similar to the clip 57c shown in Fig. 4. However, unlike the brackets 55 band 57 cformed of a transparent material, the bracket 57 cis not transparent, but is formed of an opaque material. Therefore, this bracket 57 cmay have any color.Transparent clamps are suitable for applying underneath a piece of paper with inscription, which can be removed again without disruptive adhesive residues when the clamp is removed. The opaque brackets can serve to make an assignment to the contents of the food container possible by color coding.FIG. 6 schematically shows a door, in particular a refrigerator door 101 with a storage system according to the invention. The storage system has storage surfaces 111 which have at least a base 111 band a front wall 111 a. A height of the front wall is h W. As can be seen from FIG. 8, the height h W of the front wall 111 ais dimensioned such that it is smaller than the upper edge of the free space measured from the bottom of the food container 1 or from the bottom 111 bof the storage surface 111 (length) h F. Since the thickness of the front wall 111 ais also less than a distance d between the protrusion 33 band its associated side wall 11 b(see FIG. 7 ), the food container 1 can be inserted into the storage compartment 111 such that the tab 31 bof the lid 3 of the food container 1 overlaps the front wall 111 a. Thus, access to the information on the tab 31 bis possible at any time without having to remove the food container 1 from the storage compartment.According to the preferred embodiment, the storage compartment also has a rear wall 111c, and the distance between the front wall and the rear wall is dimensioned such that the food container is inserted into the compartment in such a way that its front tab 31b overlaps the front wall 111a, while the opposite tab 31d is nearly in contact with the rear wall 111c. This construction makes optimum use of the available storage space and does not result in unnecessary teaching spaces which unnecessarily consume space or, in the case of a cooling device, must be cooled.

Claims

Storage system for food containers (1), having a storage compartment (111) which can be inserted into a wall, a cabinet or a cabinet door, preferably into a door (101) of a refrigerator and has a base (111b) and a front wall (111a), and at least one food container (1) which can be inserted into the storage compartment, the food container (1) having a base (13), side walls (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) and a removable lid (3), the removable lid (3) having at least one locking hinge having a tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d), the at least one tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) of one of the side walls (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) and engageable with the side wall (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) for closing the food container, wherein, in a state of the food container (1) closed by the lid (3), an edge of the tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) directed away from the lid (3) is spaced apart from the side wall (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d), such that a free space (35b, 35d) is formed between the side wall (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) and the edge of the tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) directed away from the lid (3), wherein an edge portion of the front wall (111a) is formed in the free space (35b, 35d) between the side wall (11b, 11b, 11c, 11d), 11d) of the food container (1) and the edge of the tab (31b, 31d) directed away from the lid (3).Storage system for food containers (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) extends, starting from the lid (3), parallel to its associated side wall (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) for a predetermined length (hD) in order then to move away from the side wall (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d).Storage system for food containers (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) has a projection (33a, 33b, 33c, 33d) directed towards the side wall (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) on its edge directed away from the cover (3).Storage system for food containers (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the protrusion (33a, 33b, 33c, 33d) is spaced apart from the side wall (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d).Storage system for food containers (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein on the tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) a clamp (55b, 57b, 57c) which engages around the edge of the tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) directed away from the cover (3).Storage system for food containers (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the clamp (55b, 57b, 57c) is designed to be removable and / or displaceable along the edge directed away from the cover (3).Storage system for food containers (1) according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the clamp (55b, 57b, 57c) is in engagement with a projection (33a, 33b, 33c, 33d) formed on the edge directed away from the cover (3) by means of a positive fit.Storage system for food containers (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an optical interface, preferably in the form of a QR code (53b, 53c), is formed on the tab (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d).Cabinet, in particular a refrigerator, a freezer or a refrigerated freezer, having a storage system according to one of the preceding claims.

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