Patent Publication Number: US-2011050415-A1

Title: Food storage container

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present application is related to a food storage container. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Food usually must be consumed before a certain date to avoid spoilage. However, people cannot always remind themselves of the expiration dates, and usually forget the expiration dates and resulting in food spoiling. To prevent food spoiling and to remind people of the expiration dates, it is desirable to have a food storage container displaying expiration dates and issuing notification when the expiration dates approach. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing showing a food storage container as disclosed according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram showing construction of the alarm module of the food storage container of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a food storage container of the present application, in accordance with an embodiment, comprises a body  10 , a cover  20 , and an alarm module  30 . The body  10  is embodied substantially as a cuboid with an open top, and the alarm module  30  is provided on one side thereof. The cover  20  is pivotally connected to one edge of the open top side, providing air-tight effect of the interior of the body  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the alarm module  30  comprises a power unit  31 , a switch  32 , a timing unit  33 , a processing unit  34 , a display unit  35 , a buzzer  36 , two control units  37  and  38 , a control button  39  and a confirmation button  40 . 
     The power unit  31  is configured for providing power of the alarm module  30 , and the switch  32  is configured for turning on and off the alarm module  30 . The control units  37  and  38  are configured for being connected to the timing unit  33 , with the control unit  37  being configured for setting days and the control unit  38  being configured for setting hours for an acceptable consumption duration of the food stored inside the body  10 . The timing unit  33  is configured for timing the acceptable consumption duration when the confirmation button  40  is pressed. 
     The timing unit  33 , the display unit  35 , and the buzzer  36  are configured for being connected to the processing unit  34 . The processing unit  34  is configured for receiving timing signals from the timing unit  33 , and for obtaining a time period difference in which the acceptable consumption duration stored by the control unit  37  has the present date of the timing unit  33  subtracted therefrom. The processing unit  34  is also configured for obtaining a time period difference for hours of the remaining acceptable consumption duration. 
     The processing unit  34  further stores a predetermined value, and when the countdown period of the acceptable consumption duration falls below the predetermined value, the processing unit  34  directs the buzzer  36  to sound, issuing notification of the forthcoming expiration. A control button  39  is configured for directing the display unit  35  to display remaining hours or days obtained by the timing unit  33 . 
     After food is secured in the body  10  and the cover  20  placed to provide air-tight effect of the interior, activation of switch  32  initiates the alarm module  30 . If the acceptable consumption duration of food inside the box  10  is less than a certain days (for example, four days), the control unit  38  can be set to calculate hours of the duration. If the taste period of food inside the body  10  exceeds a certain days, days of the acceptable consumption duration can be calculated. After the confirmation button  40  is activated, the timing unit  33  is initiated. The processing unit  34  receives the timing signals of the timing unit  33 , obtains a time period difference in days or hours for the remaining acceptable consumption duration stored by the control unit  37 , or the control unit  38  subtracts the present date of the timing unit  33 , and displays the time period difference through the display unit  35 . When the duration difference is less than a predetermined value, the buzzer  36  sounds to provide notification of the forthcoming expiration. 
     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. 
     To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.