Abstract:
In one aspect of the invention, a container for displaying, preparing and presenting food including a base having an integrated cutter having a plurality of blades and a central hub and a cover removably attached to the base for displaying the food prior to use and for storing the food during and after cutting, the cover having indentations to receive the central hub and possibly the blades to enhance the depth of cutting by the cutter through the food. The base and cover have side walls dimensioned so that the cover interfaces with the base after driving.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed to a food slicer and container. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Many food items such as fruit are currently considered fungible goods. For example, to many customers, one apple is just as good as the next. However, even if this is the case, the food items are usually displayed in a bulk fashion at a store where customers are allowed to touch even the items that they decide not to purchase, and many customers will still pick up multiple apples before selecting the one they ultimately purchase. 
     While many food products are packaged to protect them during shipment to a store, once a customer decides to purchase a food item, that item may become bruised or otherwise damaged during transportation. Moreover, the customer may want additional utensils, for example, a corer and a knife, if they wish to prepare and eat the food item. While food containers of varying types may be known in the art, such as U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0134386 to Michael, et al., these devices require separate slicing devices and are not designed for presentation of the food prior to slicing. 
     What is needed is a food storage, preparation and serving container that overcomes the drawbacks described above. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the invention, a food slicer and container, comprising a base having an upper end, a lower end and at least one side wall, a cover removably attached to the base having a closed end, an open end and at least one second side wall, the base further having a cutter having a hub and a plurality of blades wherein the cover is sized to hold a piece of food and the side wall of the base is sized to fit inside the sidewall of the cover. The base may further comprise a lip at the upper end, the lip having a bottom portion and a first side portion, the cover further comprising a lip at the open end having an outwardly extending portion and a second side portion wherein the first side portion operatively engages the second side portion. The container may further comprising an accessory cup, which may have an arm having proximal end having a tongue and a distal end wherein the arm operatively engages the at least one second side wall of the cover and the tongue operatively engages the lip of the cover. The hub may have a lower end that extends beyond a lower end of said blades and the closed end of the cover may have a recess for receiving the cutter. In addition, the container may have a shield removably attached to the lower end of the base and a separator between the outwardly extending portion of the cover and the bottom portion of the lip of the base. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a food slicer and container may comprise a base having an upper end and a lower end having a cutter having a plurality of blades and a hub, a shield removable attached to the lower end of the base proximate the cutter, a cover having an open end and a closed end and removably attached to the base, the cover having a recess at the closed end that is sized for receiving the blades and hub of the cutter and a separator between the base and cover. The hub of the cutter may extend beyond the blades. In addition, the base may have at least one side wall tapered at a first angle from its upper end to its lower end, the cover may have at least one second side wall tapered at a second angle from its open end to its closed end, and the first angle may be substantially the same as the second angle. 
     In still another aspect of the invention, a food slicer and may have a first receptacle having a side wall, a second receptacle removably attached to said first receptacle having a side wall and a cutter having a hub and a plurality of blades. In a first pre-slicing position, one of the receptacles is held in a substantially non-overlapping position with respect to the other receptacle. In a second post-slicing position, one of the receptacles nests inside the other of receptacles. The invention may further comprise a food slicing system additionally comprising a food item. In this embodiment, in the first pre-slicing position, the food item may be substantially contained within one of the receptacles. In the second post-slicing position, the food item may substantially nest within both of the receptacles. 
     These and other features and advantages are evident from the following description of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a section view of one embodiment of a food slicer and container taken along a plane bisecting the food slicer and container. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded section view of the container of  FIG. 1  taken along a plane bisecting the food slicer and container. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of one embodiment of a cutter used with the food slicer and container. 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric bottom view of a second embodiment of a cutter used with the food slicer and container. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a food slicer and container employing another embodiment of an accessory cup. 
         FIG. 6  is a section view of another embodiment of a food slicer and container taken along a plane bisecting the food slicer and container. 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded section view of the container of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While the invention described herein may be useful with a variety of food items, for convenience sake it will be described in terms of a container for displaying, preparing and serving an apple. The invention may further comprise a food slicer and container system  10 , including a food item  5 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , container  10  may comprise a first receptacle or base  20  removably connected to a second receptacle or cover  30 . Base  20  may have an upper end  21 , a lower end  22  and at least one side wall  23  and base  20  may further comprise a cutter  40 . Cutter  40  may be spaced anywhere between upper end  21  and lower end  22 , but preferably cutter  40  is proximate lower end  22 . Base  20  may further comprise a lip  24  having a bottom portion  25  and a side portion  26 . Bottom portion  25  and side portion  26  of lip  24  may have interruptions, but preferably lip  24  continues generally uninterrupted around a perimeter of base  20 . Moreover, side wall  23  may taper at a generally constant first angle from the upper end  21  to the lower end  22 . Taper may provide a larger surface for hand at upper end and also may also provide structural integrity to base  20  and focus force applied on base  20  from base  20  to cutter  40  during cutting action. Preferably, base  20  is frustoconical so that upper end  21  and lower end  22  are substantially cylindrical. However, side wall  23  may be generally perpendicular to upper end  21  and lower end  22 . Base  20  may be made of a lightweight, rigid material such as plastic, paperboard or cardboard but may be made of other materials, and the angle of taper may be chosen based on the rigidity and strength of the material chosen to make base  20 . 
     Cover  30  may have a closed end  31 , and open end  32  and at least one second side wall  33 . Preferably, cover  30  is also frustoconical so that closed end  31  and open end  32  are substantially cylindrical. Cover  30  may comprise a second lip  34  proximate open end  32  and extending outward from the second side wall  33  and may further comprise at least one recess  37  in the closed end  31 . Preferably recess  37  has a central portion  38  forming a deeper depression in closed end  31 . Second side wall  33  may taper at a generally constant second angle from the open end to the closed end. Preferably, the first angle of the base  20  is substantially equal to the second angle of the cover  30 . Still more preferably, lower end  22  of base  20  is sized to fit inside closed end  31  of cover  30  so that base  20  may nest inside cover  30  after driving. Open end  32  of cover, in addition to being wider than closed end  31  may be designed to better transmit force applied by a user during driving. For example, side wall  33  proximate open end  32  may have an ergonomic hand grip including depressions for a user&#39;s fingers or may include an indicator for positioning of a user&#39;s hands. In addition or alternatively, side wall  33  proximate open end  32  may be thicker than the remainder of side wall  33  for added rigidity. 
     Cover  30  may be made of a plastic or other translucent material so as to display food during storage. Preferably, internal side wall  33  of cover  30  is generally smooth so as to not restrict rotational movement of base  20  when base  20  is driven downward during cutting. Alternatively, base  20  and or cover  30  may work together to restrict relative rotational movement. For example, base  20  and cover  30  may have interfacing tabs and grooves extending along side walls  23 ,  33  generally from the upper end  21  to the lower end  22  of base  20  and the closed end  31  to the open end  32  of cover  30 . 
     Cover  30  may be sized to accommodate an average-sized fruit item. For example, if container  10  is used to store gala apples, cover  30  may have dimensions similar to an average size gala apple. However, cover  30  may be dimensioned slightly larger to accommodate apples of varying sizes while still restricting movement of the apple so as to minimize bruising or other damage. 
     Cover  30  may be a substantially solid piece, i.e., closed end  31  and side wall  33  may be generally uninterrupted. However, cover  30  may have at least one hole  39 . Hole  39  may be in closed end  31  or side wall  33 , preferably in side wall  33 . In this way, fresh air may be allowed to circulate over the food item. In the case of an apple or other fruit, hole  39  may further permit ethylene or other gases to escape, slowing ripening or rotting of the fruit. Hole  39  may be preferably in side wall  33  so as to minimize leaking of juices that may be emitted when cover  30  is inverted and apple is sliced inside cover  30 . Holes  39  may be sized so as to permit the escape of gases but preferably are not large enough to allow a consumer to have significant contact with the food item in order to maintain hygienic conditions. Alternatively, cover may be made of a permeable material that allows for one-way transmission of ethylene gas, i.e., in an outward direction but not back inward. 
     In another embodiment, side wall  33  of cover  30  may have one or more notches at open end  32 . When engaged with base  20 , notches may elevate cover  30  to form the at least one hole  39  in cover  30  to allow for air flow through hole  39  between base  20  and cover  30 . 
     Cover  30  is removably attachable to base  20 . Preferably, cover  30  is press fit or frictionally engaged with base  20 . Friction fit may be the simplest connection to make while still providing sufficient holding strength so as to avoid accidental separation of base  20  and cover  30 , especially if base  20  and holder  30  are made from different materials. However, alternative types of connections may be possible. For example, base  20  or cover  30  may have one or more protrusions to fit into a corresponding slot in the other piece. 
     Base  20  and cover  30  may additionally have a seal  80  spanning the intersection between base  20  and cover  30 . Seal  80  may be, e.g., a freshness seal bearing the date on which the food product was packaged or by which it should be used. Alternatively or in addition, seal  80  may serve as an anti-tampering device. 
     Cutter  40  may have a central hub  42  with a plurality of blades  44  extending outward from hub  42  for cutting food. Central hub  42  may extend beyond a lower end of each of the blades  44 . In this way, the central hub  42  may pierce the food first, centering the cutter  40  and facilitating driving of the blades  44  into the food. Central hub  42  and blades  44  may interface with recess  37  and central portion  38  when base  20  is inverted and inserted into cover  30 . In another embodiment, recess  37  in closed end  31  of cover  30  may only comprise central portion  38 . Interfacing caused by central portion  38  and/or recess  37  with central hub  42  and/or blades  44  may allow central hub  42  and blades  44  to penetrate all the way through apple to separate slices from the core portion. Cutter  40  may be made of plastic, ceramic, metal, any combination thereof, or other strong, lightweight materials. 
     In one embodiment, cutter  40  has six or eight substantially equally spaced blades  44  and further has an outer rim  48  connecting the distal ends  45  of each of the blades  44 . In another embodiment, as seen in  FIG. 4 , cutter  40  may have four substantially equally spaced blades  44  with outer rim  48  spanning distal ends  45  of alternating pairs of consecutive blades  44 . Blades  44  may be straight, serrated or any combination thereof. At least one blade  44 , but preferably all blades  44  may have a chamfer  46  to further facilitate cutting into food. 
     Cutter  40  may be fixedly attached to base  20  by various means, for example by gluing outer rim  48  to base or by molding base  20  around outer rim  48 . In another embodiment a second outer rim  49  may extend at least substantially around a perimeter of cutter  40 . Second outer rim may then be adhered to both cutter  40  and base  20 . Alternatively, cutter  40  may be sized larger than lower end  22  of base  20  so that outer rim  48  is external to base  20 . Mating between base  20  and cutter  40  may then be accomplished by providing cutter  40  with a lip into which lower end  22  is inserted. Cutter  40  may be proximate lower end  22  of base  20 . Preferably cutter  40  is spaced slightly from lower end  22 . Gap formed between cutter  40  and lower end  22  may serve several purposes. First, gap may allow for a shield  70  to be removably attached to lower end  22 . Shield  70  may be made of a foil, plastic film, paperboard or other material and may serve to prevent a user from touching and/or accidentally cutting himself on blades  44 . Shield  70  may be opaque so as to hide cutter  40  from view until use. However, shield  70  may also be made of a translucent material. Second, gap may create a tongue formed by side wall  23  at lower end  22 . Preferably, cover  30  has a similarly sized and shaped groove in closed end  31 . In this way, multiple containers  10  may be stacked on top of one another for convenient, stable storage. 
     Container  10  may further comprise an accessory cup  50  such as a cup holding caramel or another sauce for dipping. Accessory cup  50  may have an upper lip  52  and upper side wall  54  for operatively engaging base  20  prior to use. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , upper lip  52  may operatively engage bottom portion  25  of lip  24  and upper side wall  54  may operatively engage side wall  23  of base. The apple may then rest on the upper lip  52  of the accessory cup  50 , but preferably the apple and accessory cup  50  are spaced from each other by a separator  60 . Separator  60  may be paperboard or plastic or other suitable material and may elevate the apple for better display and to provide a layer of insulation between the fruit and the top of accessory cup  50 , e.g., to prevent accidental punctures of a lid of accessory cup  50 . Separator may be a generally planar surface or disk, but separator  60  may also have orienting features such as a central depression or multiple circumferentially spaced depressions to generally maintain a desired orientation of the apple. Interface between upper lip  52  of accessory cup  50  with bottom portion  25  and/or separator  60  may effectively “lock” accessory cup  50  into place during transport. 
     In another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 5 , accessory cup  50  may not have upper lip  52  and upper side wall  54 . Instead, accessory cup  50  may have an arm  51  extending from upper surface  56  from a proximal end  55  to a distal end  53 . Distal end  53  may be angled substantially similarly to generally constant first angle of side wall  23  of base. In addition, proximal end  55  of arm  51  may have a tongue  57  shaped similarly to lip  24  of base  20 . As such, accessory cup  50  may be hung from the top of base  20  such that tongue  57  operationally engages lip  24  and distal end  53  operationally engages side wall  23 . Regardless of the form used for accessory cup  50 , cup  50  may be sized to have a height less than or equal to the distance between cutter  40  and lip  24  of base  20  so that accessory cup  50  may be stored inside base  20  prior to use. 
     As opposed to the “pedestal” embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 , in still another embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 6-7 , container  110  may have base  120  located above cover  130  in a “piston” configuration. Base  120 , cover  130 , cutter  140 , accessory cup  150  and seal  180  may be structurally and functionally similar to base  20 , cover  30 , cutter  40 , accessory cup  50  and seal  80  of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 . Container  110  may further have a separator  160  having a generally downward facing groove  162  and a generally upward facing centered depression  164 . Downward facing groove  162  may operationally engage lip  134  at open end  132  of cover  130 . In addition, depression  164  may be sized to be substantially the same as lower end  122  of base  120  so that base  120  may rest inside depression  164 . Alternatively, depression  164  may be slightly smaller than lower end  122  of base  120  to form an interference fit between separator  160  and base  120 . Separator  160  may be more structurally rigid than separator  60 , i.e., it may be made from paperboard or a paper pulp product in order to support base  120  and accessory cup  150  and to prevent cutter  140  in lower end  122  of base from prematurely, accidentally cutting into the food item. 
     Continuing with the embodiment of  FIGS. 6-7 , container  110  may have a film or other type of sealant  190  across open end  121  of base  120  so as to hold accessory cup  150  inside base  120 . 
     This embodiment may be more functionally intuitive to a user because it does not require reorienting any of the elements of container  110 . Instead, a user only has to remove sealant  190  and accessory cup  150  from base  120 , remove seal  180  and separator  160  from between base  120  and cover  130 , and then drive base  120  downward into the apple. 
     Method of Use: 
     To use container  10 , in one embodiment, remove seal  80  and separate cover  30  from base  20 . Remove food, separator  60  and accessory cup  50  from base. Invert cover  30  and place food in cover  30 . Remove shield  70  from base  20 . Place base  20  over food, centering hub  42  over center of food. Drive base  20  by driving cutter  40  through food, having centering hub  42  penetrate food first followed by blades  44  until blades  44  and centering hub  42  interface with recess  37  and central portion  38 , respectively. This driving motion, by having a larger upper end  21  and a smaller lower end  22  takes advantage of a user&#39;s leverage and focuses the force generated by a user to more easily drive cutter  40  through food. Side walls  23  of base  20  and side walls  33  of cover  30  may operationally engage to provide greater alignment during the driving action. Base  20  and cover  30  may also be dimensioned so that side walls  23  and  33  form a close fit, preferably an interference fit after driving. Close fit between base  20  and cover  30  may contain juices or other liquids that are emitted from the food item during the cutting process. Moreover, closed end  31  of cover  30  may contain the juices to keep the surface on which container  10  is placed dry. In one embodiment, accessory cup  50  may be placed on edge of base  20  with arm  51  interfacing with base side wall  23  and tongue  57  on proximal end  53  operatively engaged with lip  24  of base. 
     While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific exemplary embodiment and method herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment and method, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.