Limited use-disposable salad container assembly

• US 20060185990A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Francisco Fuentes, Susan Rybar Michaeli, Thomas Rybar
• Original Assignee: Francisco Fuentes, Susan Rybar Michaeli, Thomas Rybar
• Inventors: Michaeli, Susan Rybar, Fuentes, Francisco, Rybar, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/344,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20060185990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2878 the element being a lid or cover seated on a passage between the auxiliary container and the main container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3211 coaxially and provided with means facilitating admixture
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3222 with additional means facilitating admixture

Abstract

A salad container assembly is disclosed including a base, a cover removably mounted on the base, and a sealed salad dressing insert for nesting within the cover having a flexible top, a salad dressing reservoir, an opening, a seal over the opening, and a puncturing mechanism capable of breaking the seal on application of sufficient pressure to the flexible top thereby allowing the contents of the reservoir to dispense into the base.

Claims

1. A disposable fluid food product dispensing container assembly comprising:

a base having an upper rim edge;

a cover mounted removably on said upper edge of said base, said cover having an opening; and

a removably attachable, fluid containing insert package defining a sealed receptacle dimensioned to be inserted into and adapted to seat within said opening, said insert package including a deformable, flexible top, a reservoir, a dispensing opening allowing communication between said fluid reservoir and said base, a puncturable seal over said dispensing opening, a puncturing mechanism capable of breaking the seal upon application of sufficient pressure to said flexible top, for dispensing the content of the fluid reservoir into the base.

2. A salad container assembly comprising:

a base having an upper rim edge,

a cover mounted removably on said upper edge of said base, said cover having an opening,

a salad dressing insert package defining a sealed receptacle dimensioned to be inserted into and adapted to seat within said opening, said insert package including a deformable, flexible top, a salad dressing reservoir, a dispensing opening allowing communication between said fluid reservoir and said base, a puncturable seal over said dispensing opening, a puncturing mechanism capable of breaking the seal upon application of sufficient pressure to said flexible top, for dispensing the content of the fluid reservoir into the base.

3. The salad container assembly of claim 2 wherein said puncturing mechanism includes an elongated shaft mounted on a dispensing disk disposed proximally to the seal where said mechanism is pivotable upon application of pressure to the deformable, flexible top.

4. The salad container assembly of claim 3 where the dispensing opening is a cylindrical neck and further including a collar disposed around neck and a hinge tab connecting the collar to the dispensing disk.

5. The salad container assembly of claim 4 where the hinge tab retains the dispensing disk and shaft from falling into said base.

11. A method for using a salad container assembly as recited in claim 2, comprising the steps of:

a) affixing the salad dressing insert package to said cover,

b) depressing said flexible top,

c) puncturing said seal, and

d) releasing the fluid.

6. A sanitary, portion-packaged, fluid food product dispenser comprising a deformable container defining a fluid reservoir said container having a cylindrical neck defining a food dispensing opening, a puncturing mechanism mounted to said container proximate to said food dispensing opening and extending in part within said fluid reservoir, a puncturable seal for sealing said food dispensing opening, being puncturable by said puncturing mechanism upon deformation of the container and displacement of said puncturing mechanism.

7. The food product dispenser of claim 6 further comprising a robust cap for attaching to said cylindrical neck and covering said puncturable seal.

8. The food product dispenser of claim 7 wherein said puncturing mechanism includes an elongated shaft mounted on a dispensing disk disposed proximally to said seal wherein said mechanism is pivotable upon application of pressure to said deformable, flexible top.

9. The food product dispenser of claim 8 further including a collar disposed around said neck and a hinge tab connecting said collar to said dispensing disk.

10. The food product dispenser of claim 9 wherein said hinge tab retains said dispensing disk and shaft from falling into said base.