Salad container having insert chamber

• US 6,302,268 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compac Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Daniel Reuven Michaeli
• Inventors: Michaeli, Daniel Reuven
• Primary Examiner(s): MOY, JOSEPH MAN
• Application Number:
  US09/718,700
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 206/221, 206/219, 215/DIG.8, 220/521
• US Class Current: 206/221
• 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: Y10S 215/08 Mixing

Abstract

A container for salad includes a base, a removable cover and a chamber insert which projects through the cover and into the container. The container is sealed by a removable cap. Pressure applied by a user to a portion of the chamber insert releases the cap and allows salad dressing which is stored in an enclosure in the chamber member to flow onto salad ingredients which are in the base. Shaking the container facilitates uniform mixing of the salad dressing with the salad ingredients.

Claims

1. A salad container comprising:

a base member, with said base member having the general shape of a cup, and with said base member having an upper edge;

a cover member with said cover member mounted removably on said upper edge of said base member, with said cover member having an inwardly directed hollow portion projecting toward said base member;

a chamber insert defining an enclosure and mounted on said cover member and having a portion projecting into said inwardly directed hollow portion of said cover member, with said chamber insert having an opening directed toward said base member and having a flexible central portion;

a cap member removably sealing said chamber member with said cap member having a projecting portion directed toward said central portion of said chamber insert whereby pressure directed by a user on said central portion causes said central portion to deflect and bear on said projecting portion of said cap member and causes said cap member to open said chamber insert releasing salad dressing therefrom onto salad ingredients in said base member.

2. The salad container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inwardly directed hollow portion of said cover member has a funnel shape.

3. The salad container as claimed in claim 2, wherein said funnel shape is provided with a concave wall.

4. The salad container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projecting portion of said chamber insert has a funnel shape complementing said inwardly directed portion of said cover member.

5. The salad container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projecting portion of said cap comprises a shaft member.

6. The salad container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cover member has a dome shape.

7. The salad container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projecting portion of said chamber insert further comprises a hollow cylindrical portion connected to said funnel-shaped portion.

8. The salad container as claimed in claim 7, wherein said cap further comprises:

a ring mounted on said cylindrical portion; and

a flexible strap connecting said ring to said cap.

9. The salad container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chamber insert is made of a flexible plastic material.

10. The salad container as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a retaining rim formed on said cylindrical portion and disposed adjacent said funnel shaped portion of said chamber, with said retaining rim engaging said cover member and preventing removal of said chamber insert from said cover member.

11. The salad container as claimed in claim 7, wherein said cap and said cylindrical portion form a snap-fit closure.

12. The salad container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base member and said cover member form a snap-fit closure.

13. The salad container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chamber insert comprises a dome-shaped central portion.

14. The salad container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cover member further comprises a lower edge with said lower edge removably engaging said upper edge of said base member.

15. The salad container as claimed in claim 14, wherein said lower edge further comprises:

a rim portion;

a skirt portion with said rim portion spaced away from said skirt portion and defining a space therebetween with said upper edge of said base member disposed between said skirt portion and said rim portion.

16. The salad container as claimed in claim 15, wherein said skirt portion comprises a lower edge with said lower edge projecting beyond said rim portion.

17. The salad container as claimed in claim 15, and further provided with a plurality of studs each projecting radially outwardly from the upper edge of the container base with the studs spaced at peripheral intervals about the upper edge, each of the studs supporting an ear spaced outwardly of the outwardly projecting rim, a plurality of longitudinal openings each formed in the outwardly projecting rim and each corresponding to one of the studs, the outwardly projecting rim also forming a plurality of transverse slots each communicating with one of the longitudinal openings;

whereby when the studs are inserted longitudinally into the longitudinal openings and the container cover is rotated in a closing sense relative to the container base each of the studs enters into its corresponding transverse slot so that its corresponding ear engages over the outwardly projecting rim to hold the container cover onto the container base, and

whereby on rotating the container cover in an opening sense opposite to the closing sense relative to the container base each of the studs is aligned with its corresponding longitudinal opening and,

whereby when the container cover is then moved longitudinally relative to the container base, the container cover is separated therefrom.