Bowl with lid

• US 8,746,486 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Angelcare Fedding USA, LLC
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Del Solar, Maria Alexandra, Maguire, Paul, Bryan, Au Kin Fo
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): POOS, MADISON LYNN
• Application Number:
  US13/447,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20130098915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 220/288, 220/290, 220/293, 220/296, 220/298, 220/301, 220/780, 220/784, 220/793, 215/230, 215/272, 215/293
• US Class Current: 220/293
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 47/02 Closed containers for foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/01 making a sound upon actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00092 circular
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00296 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00527 NO contact
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00537 on the outside, or a part turned to the outside of the mouth of the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/0231 only on the outside, or a part turned to the outside, of the mouth of the container B65D43/0227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/00 Closures not otherwise provided for covers or similar closures as engineering elements for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00

Abstract

A food storage container includes a bowl that connects to a lid in a closed position. Upon movement of the bowl and lid into the closed position, an audible sound or signal is generated as well as visual and tactile indications.

Claims

1. A storage container, comprising:

a bowl having an open end and a bowl wall forming an interior volume, the bowl wall having a middle portion positioned around an axis of the bowl that extends in a longitudinal direction, the bowl including a rim on an exterior region of the bowl wall extending approximately perpendicular relative to the middle portion of the bowl wall and a plurality of discrete thread-like structures above the rim that generally extend in a circumferential direction, each of the plurality of discrete thread-like structures being separated from an adjacent one of the plurality of discrete thread-like structures by a circumferential space such that none of the plurality of discrete thread-like structures circumferentially overlap each other around the bowl, at least one of the plurality of discrete thread-like structures including a stop structure extending downwardly toward the rim, the bowl further including a tongue that extends outwardly from the rim, the tongue including a connector extending upwardly from an upper surface of the tongue; and

a lid to be placed over the open end of the bowl, the lid including a plurality of lid threads and a downwardly extending protrusion, each of the lid threads passing through one of the circumferential spaces when the lid is placed on the bowl,

wherein rotating the lid and/or the bowl relative to each other in a first direction causes (i) the lid threads to lock under the thread-like structures of the bowl and (ii) the protrusion of the lid to engage the connector and move in the longitudinal direction away from the rim, and wherein rotating the lid relative to the bowl in a second direction opposite the first direction causes at least one lid thread to engage the stop structure of the at least one of the plurality of discrete thread-like structures of the bowl to thereby prevent further rotation in the second direction.

2. The storage container of claim 1, wherein rotating the lid relative to the bowl in the first direction generates an audible signal from the engagement of the protrusion and the connector that indicates the lid and the bowl are properly closed.

3. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the connector has a tab that is cantilevered in an aperture through the rim, and wherein the tab has a first side that connects to the rim and a second side opposite the first side that is free.

4. The storage container of claim 3, wherein the tab has a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the tab has a ramp that protrudes from the top surface, and wherein the tab has a third side and a fourth side opposite third side so that the ramp increases in height, as measured from the top surface of the tab to a top surface of the ramp, from the fourth side to the third side.

5. The storage container according to claim 3, wherein the lid threads are slanted relative to the longitudinal axis.

6. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the lid has lid wall with a top wall and a side wall that forms a curve with the top wall so that the side wall is perpendicular to the top wall.

7. The storage container of claim 6, wherein the side wall has an exterior surface and an interior surface opposite the exterior surface, and wherein the exterior surface has grippers that protrude from the lid wall.

8. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the thread-like structures on the bowl are slanted relative to the longitudinal axis.

9. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the lid has a lid wall with a top wall and a side wall that forms a curve with the top wall so that the side wall is perpendicular to the top wall, wherein the lid has an inner wall parallel to the side wall having a space therebetween so that when the lid is connected to the bowl, the inner wall abuts an inner surface of the bowl to seal an interior volume of the bowl.

10. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the lid threads are straight.

11. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is made of a resilient material and rebounds back to an initial position after engaging the connector.

12. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein rotating the lid relative to the bowl in a first direction further causes, after engagement of the protrusion and the connector, (iii) one of the lid threads to engage the stop structure of the at least one of the plurality of discrete thread-like structures of the bowl to thereby prevent further rotation in the first direction.

13. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the stop structure extends downwardly from at least one of the plurality of discrete thread-like structures and terminates above the rim.

14. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete thread-like structures are equally spaced circumferentially around the bowl.

15. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete thread-like structures are four in number.

16. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein rotating the lid relative to the bowl in the second direction is for disconnecting the lid and the engagement of the lid thread and the stop structure of the at least one of the plurality of discrete thread-like structures of the bowl indicates that the lid can be disconnected from the bowl by permitting each of the lid threads to passing upwardly through one of the circumferential spaces.

17. A method of connecting a lid to a bowl comprising:

placing the lid over an open end of the bowl;

aligning a first protrusion on the lid with an indicator on the bowl such that a lid thread of the lid is located between two adjacent discrete thread-like structures on the bowl; and

rotating the lid and/or the bowl relative to each other so that a portion of the lid moves in a longitudinal direction away from a rim of the bowl as the portion of the lid passes over a connector of the bowl to a closed position,

wherein the bowl has a bowl wall forming a convex shape with a middle portion centered about an axis of the bowl that extends in the longitudinal direction, wherein the rim extends perpendicularly relative to the middle portion of the bowl wall, and wherein the bowl has the connector on the rim.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the lid thread is spaced away from the two adjacent bowl discrete thread-like structures so that the lid can move toward the bowl until the first protrusion abuts the rim on the bowl.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein rotation of the lid and/or the bowl relative to each other in a first direction is prevented when the lid thread abuts a stop.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising rotating the lid in a second direction passing the lid thread under one of the two adjacent bowl discrete thread-like structures so that one of the two adjacent bowl threads is between the lid thread and a top wall of the lid.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the connector has a ramp and the portion of the lid that passes over the connector is a second protrusion, which is the same as or different than the first protrusion, and wherein the rotating of the lid and/or the bowl relative to each other so that the portion of the lid moves in the longitudinal direction away from the rim of the bowl as the portion of the lid passes over the connector of the bowl to the closed position comprises the second protrusion interfering with the ramp during rotation in the second direction.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising generating at least one of an audible, visual, and tactile signal by the second protrusion moving over the ramp from a smaller height of the ramp to a larger height of the ramp.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein once the second protrusion has passed over the ramp, the lid thread abuts a first stop, and wherein the larger height of the ramp and the first stop maintains the second protrusion in place adjacent the ramp and one of the two adjacent bowl threads maintains the lid connected to the bowl in the closed position.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein when the bowl and the lid are in the closed position, the lid can be disconnected from the bowl by rotating the lid in a first direction so that the second protrusion passes over the ramp and either the first protrusion aligns with the indicator or the lid thread abuts a second stop preventing further rotation of the lid positioning the lid thread between the two adjacent bowl discrete thread-like structures so that the lid can be moved away from the bowl to disconnect the lid from the bowl.

25. A method of connecting a lid to a bowl comprising:

placing the lid over an open end of the bowl;

aligning the lid with the bowl such that a lid thread of the lid is located between two adjacent bowl thread-like structures of the bowl; and

rotating the lid and/or the bowl relative to each other so that a portion of the lid moves in a longitudinal direction away from a rim of the bowl as a first protrusion of the lid passes over a connector of the bowl to a closed position,

wherein the bowl comprises;

a bowl wall forming a convex shape with a middle portion centered about an axis of the bowl that extends in the longitudinal direction, wherein the rim extends perpendicularly relative to the middle portion;

a tongue extending outwardly from the rim, the tongue including the connector extending upwardly from an upper surface of the tongue,

wherein the first protrusion extends downwardly from the lid.