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.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/475,759, filed Apr. 15, 2011. The contents of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/475,759, filed Apr. 15, 2011, are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     The present disclosure relates to food storage. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a food storage container having a bowl that connects to a lid and provides at least one of an audible, visual, and tactile indication to a user that the lid is properly sealed or attached to the bowl. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Care for children requires transport and storage of food. Food containers may have a bowl with an opening to insert food for storage in the bowl, which opening is then closed or covered by a lid. Current food containers in the market are not able to indicate to a user if the food container has been properly sealed and, thus, is free from spilling once the lid is closed. Unwanted spills and leaks occur during transportation or when the bowl accidentally falls sideways during storage. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a storage container, preferably ergonomic, that provides a user with at least one of an audible, visual, and tactile signal when the food storage container is securely sealed, which makes for a practical and secure food storage container that can be used on the go or at home. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     There is provided a food storage container that has a bowl and a lid that connects to the bowl when in a sealed or closed position. Upon movement of the bowl and lid into the closed position, at least one of an audible, visual, and tactile signal is generated, indicating to the user that the lid is securely and properly sealed onto the bowl. 
     The above-described and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a bowl connected to a lid of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the bowl of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side plan view of the bowl of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged partial top view of the bowl of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is side plan view of the lid of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is bottom side perspective view of the lid of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a front plan view of the bowl connected to the lid of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side plan view of the bowl connected to the lid of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view of the bowl connected to the lid of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 10  is a partial top side perspective view of the bowl connected to the lid of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 11  is a side cross-sectional view of the bowl connected to the lid of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings and, in particular,  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a bowl  100  connected to a lid  200  according to the present disclosure is shown. Bowl  100  has a bowl wall  102 . Bowl wall  102  has a convex shape, or chamfered hemisphere, to form, as shown in  FIG. 2 , an interior volume  104 . Bowl  100  and lid  200 , for example, are each made of plastic, such as polypropylene. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , bowl wall  102  has an inner surface  106  facing interior volume  104  and, as shown in  FIG. 1 , an outer surface  108  opposite interior volume  104 . Bowl wall  102  has a bottom portion  110  that has a thickness greater than a middle portion  112  so that bottom portion  110  protrudes from middle portion  112 . Bottom portion  110  may have a shape of a wave  114 . Inner surface  106  is smooth. Inner surface  106  (not shown on  FIG. 1 ) has a smooth curve  152  (not shown on  FIG. 1 ) forming dome shape portion  150 . Outer surface  108  has an indicator  116 . Indicator  116 , for example, has a shape of a triangle or arrowhead protruding from bowl wall  102 . 
     Bowl wall  102  forms a rim  118  that is perpendicular to middle portion  112  of bowl wall  102 . Rim  118  has a tongue  120  that protrudes from a remainder of rim  118 . Tongue  120  bends downward toward bottom portion  110 . Tongue  120  has a top surface  122  and a bottom surface  124 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , tongue  120  has a connector  126 . Connector  126  has a tab  128  that is cantilevered within an aperture  130  through tongue  120 . Tab  128  has a first side  132  that connects to tongue  120  and a second side  134  opposite first side  132  that is free. Tab  128  has a top surface  136  and, as shown in  FIG. 9 , a bottom surface  138 . Top surface  136  has a ramp  140  that protrudes therefrom. 
     Lid  200  has lid wall  202 . Lid wall  202  has a top wall  204  and a side wall  206  that forms a curve with top wall  204  so that it is perpendicular thereto. Top wall  204  has an indentation  208 . Indentation  208  has, for example, a circular shape that is sized complimentary to bottom of bowl  100  to align with another bowl having the same shape as bowl  100  to allow stacking of bowls when lid  200  is connected to bowl  100 . Middle portion  208   a  may have a disk like window (not shown) that is hinged to middle portion  208   a . The disk is imbedded within lid wall  202  when closed without causing a surface that protrudes outwards. The disk like window protects a label that can be inserted therein. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , side wall  206  has an exterior surface  212  and an interior surface  210  opposite exterior surface  212 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , exterior surface  212  has grippers  214  that protrude from lid wall  202 . Grippers  214  facilitate gripping for moving or rotating lid  200  by hands of a user. Side wall  206  has an edge  216  between interior surface  210  and exterior surface  212 . Protrusions  218  protrude from edge  216 . Protrusions  218  have a shape, for example, of a hemisphere. Each protrusion  218  may have a triangle or arrowhead  217  that protrudes from exterior surface  212 . The arrowhead has an apex that is in protrusion  218 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , bowl wall  102  has a top portion  142  on a side of rim  118  opposite middle portion  112 . Top portion  142  has bowl threads  144  on outer surface  108 . Each bowl thread  144  slants from a top edge  146  towards rim  118  and has a stop  148  at an end of each thread  144  closest to rim  118 . Stop  148  is a protrusion that extends from thread  144  towards rim  118 . Bowl wall  102  has a dome shape portion  150  to rest bowl  100  on a surface. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , connector  126  has tab  128  that is cantilevered within aperture  130  through tongue  120 . Aperture  130  is U-shaped. Tab  128  has first side  132  that connects to tongue  120  and second side  134  opposite first side  132  that is free. Tab  128  has top surface  136  that has ramp  140  that protrudes therefrom. Tab  128  has a third side  154  and a fourth side  156  opposite third side  154 . Ramp  140  increases in height, as measured from top surface  136  of tab  128  to a top surface  155  of ramp  140 , from fourth side  156  to third side  154 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , top wall  204  forms a curved portion  220  with side wall  206 . Edge  216  may have four protrusions  218  spaced around a circumference thereof. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , interior surface  210  of lid  200  has lid threads  222 . Lid threads  222  protrude from interior surface  210 . Lid threads  222  are straight and slightly slanted towards edge  216 . Lid  200  has an inner wall  224  parallel to side wall  206  having a space  226  therebetween. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7-10 , to connect lid  200  to bowl  100 , a user aligns any one of protrusions  218  with indicator  116 . By aligning one protrusion  218  with indicator  116 , each lid thread  222  is between two adjacent bowl threads  144 , and lid threads  222  are spaced away from bowl threads  144  so that lid  200  may be moved toward bowl  100  until protrusions  218  abut rim  118 . Lid  200  may then be rotated. If lid is rotated in a first direction  302 , counterclockwise as shown in  FIGS. 1-11 , each lid thread  222  will abut one stop  148  and further rotation of lid  200  will be prevented. If lid  200  is rotated in a second direction  304 , clockwise as shown in  FIGS. 1-11 , each lid thread  222  will pass under bowl threads  144  so that bowl threads  144  are each between one lid thread  222  and top wall  204 . During rotation in second direction  304 , one protrusion  218   a  interferes with ramp  140 . The protrusion  218   a  moves over ramp  140  from a smaller height  140   a  of ramp  140  on fourth side  156  to a larger height  140   b  of the ramp on third side  154 , as shown by dashed line  157  in  FIG. 7 . Bowl threads  144  apply a force to lid  200  so that once protrusion  218   a  has passed over ramp  140 , as shown in the solid lines of  FIG. 7 , lid  200  contacts or “strikes” bowl  100  with such force that an audible sound or “click” is generated. Once protrusion  218   a  has passed over ramp  140 , each lid thread  244  also abuts one stop  148 . Tab  128  may also be a resilient material so that the protrusion  218   a  deflects tab  128  from an initial position moving ramp  140  away from lid  200  through aperture  130 . Once protrusion  218   a  has passed over ramp  140 , the resilient material of tab  128  rebounds back to the initial position. The larger height  140   b  of ramp  140  and stops  148  maintain the protrusion  218   a  in place adjacent ramp  140 , and bowl threads  144  maintain lid  200  connected to bowl  100 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , in a closed position. 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , when lid  200  is connected to bowl  100 , inner wall  224  abuts inner surface  106  to seal interior volume  104 . 
     When bowl  100  and lid  200  are in the closed position, as shown in  FIG. 7 , lid  200  can be disconnected from bowl  100  by rotating lid  200  in first direction  302  so that protrusion  218   a  passes over ramp  140  and either one protrusion  218  aligns with indicator  116  or each lid thread  222  abuts one stop  148  preventing further rotation of lid  200 . When one protrusion  218  aligns with indicator  116  or each lid thread  222  abuts one stop  148 , each lid thread  222  is between two adjacent bowl threads  144 , and lid threads  222  are spaced away from bowl threads  144  so that lid  200  may be moved away from bowl  100  to disconnect lid  200  from bowl  100 . 
     Bowl  100  and lid  200  are ergonomic. Significantly, an audible sound or signal is given when lid  200  is securely connected to bowl  100 . This audible sound or signal makes for a practical indicator to the user that the food storage container is securely closed. Clearly, this feature is valuable for the user on the go or at home. Bowl  100  and lid  200  keep food securely contained in interior volume  104  without unwanted spillage. Bowl  100  and lid  200 , in comparison to current food storage containers, improves the way food or snacks are transported, and improves the way they are stored at home, by the audible cue and also the visual and tactile indications that the lid is properly closed so that the bowl is sealed. Bowl  100  and lid  200  solve the problem of the unknown improper closure that results in the unwanted spills and leaks during transportation or when the bowl accidentally falls sideways during refrigerator storage. 
     It should also be recognized that the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like may be used herein to modify various elements. These modifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order to the modified elements unless specifically stated. 
     While the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.