Patent Publication Number: US-2023150788-A1

Title: Foil wrap storage box

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present invention generally relates to storage boxes, and more particularly relates to a foil wrap storage box for storing foils and wraps. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The subject matter discussed in this background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely because of its mention herein. Similarly, any problems mentioned in this background section or associated with the subject matter of this background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. 
     Foil wraps are paper thin shiny sheets that are made from different materials for packaging perishable items such as meat, vegetables etc. The foil wraps such as plastic foil wraps or aluminum foil wraps, are used in every household. Further, people put a lot of plastic or aluminum foil wraps in drawers at home. It can be noted that the foil wraps are usually sold in packaging boxes and these packaging boxes look very messy, when drawers are put together. Further, the foil wraps are available in a variety of conventional dispensing containers that are known to hold rolls of film or sheet material, such as plastic film wrap, wax paper, parchment paper, aluminum foil, and the like. Such dispensing containers are provided with a sharp and/or serrated edge to cut the film. 
     Currently, there are different solutions to take out a piece of film from the dispensing containers. In one case, to take out a piece of the film, a user is required to hold and pull one end of the film and tear along the edge. In another case, for storage and cutting of the wraps and foils, a device which involves use of guide rails having a sliding blade housing along with a blade, is being used. The device having the guide rails involves cutter assembly inserted between the guide rails for cutting the plastic film wrap. However, these different solutions suffer from one or more drawbacks such as these solutions do not have a fixed surface as one hand operation for extracting of the film wrap is not possible, and the person is forced to use both the hands. Further, the design of the blades is such that the hand of the person comes in proximity towards the blade that may lead to cuts and other injuries. Such available solutions are not user friendly and require extensive force while tearing apart the film wrap over the blades and therefore, it is not convenient to smoothly take the piece of film wrap easily. 
     Therefore, there is a need for an improved apparatus that allows flat and smooth cutting of foil wraps in a more convenient, effective, and safe manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In accordance with an embodiment, the present invention discloses a foil wrap storage box. The foil wrap storage box comprises a base portion defining a compartment, between first side panels and second side panels. In one embodiment, at least one side panel of the first side panels is integrated with a first set of magnets at both ends. Further, the second side panels are integrated with a second set of magnets at one end. The at least one side panel of the first side panels is detachably coupled with the second side panels using the first set of magnets and the second set of magnets. It should be noted that at least one side panel of the first side panels facilitates access inside the compartment of the foil wrap storage box. In one embodiment, the first side panels and the second side panels are made of a material selected from a group of materials such as stainless steel, reinforced plastic, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 
     Further, the foil wrap storage box comprises a top portion disposed over the first side panels and the second side panels. The top portion comprises at least one strip opening disposed along a length of the top portion. The at least one strip opening comprises narrow longitudinal sides with a wide middle section. The at least one strip opening provides passage for wraps and foils to protrude through the narrow longitudinal sides and the wide middle section. It should be noted that the wide middle section of the at least one strip opening is provided to locate an edge of the wraps and foils inside the compartment. Further, the top portion comprises at least one slider having a strip-shaped groove positioned adjacent to the narrow longitudinal sides and the wide middle section. The at least one slider comprises a sliding knife cutter to slide along the strip-shaped groove to cut the wraps and foils. The sliding knife cutter is made of a material selected from a group of materials such as stainless steel and alloy steel. 
     Further, the strip-shaped groove corresponds to a channel or a track for facilitating cutting motion of the sliding knife cutter. In one embodiment, the strip-shaped groove is provided with an end stop to prevent movement of the at least one slider beyond a track of the strip-shaped groove. 
     Further, the foil wrap storage box comprises a partition plate which is disposed over the base portion and parallel to the second side panels, to divide the compartment of the foil wrap storage box into a first compartment and a second compartment. The first compartment and the second compartment provide space for accommodating different wraps and foils inside the foil wrap storage box. 
     In one embodiment, the base portion is integrated with a plurality of hanging holes to mount the foil wrap storage box onto a wall. The plurality of hanging holes correspond to at least three gourd shaped openings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming particular embodiment of the present disclosure, various embodiments of the present disclosure can be more readily understood and appreciated from the following descriptions of various embodiments of the present disclosure when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a perspective view of a foil wrap storage box, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  2 A  illustrates a front view of first side panels of the foil wrap storage box, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  2 B  illustrates a rear view of the first side panels of the foil wrap storage box, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  3 A  illustrates a front view of second side panels of the foil wrap storage box, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  3 B  illustrates a rear view of the second side panels of the foil wrap storage box, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  4    illustrates an isometric view of the foil wrap storage box with a cutting action of a sliding knife cutter, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  5    illustrates an exploded view of the foil wrap storage box, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  6    illustrates a top view of a top portion of the foil wrap storage box, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  7    illustrates a rear view of a base portion of the foil wrap storage box, according to an embodiment; and 
         FIGS.  8 A- 8 B  illustrate an isometric view of the foil wrap storage box having a plurality of compartments, according to an alternate embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments or features, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, corresponding or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or corresponding parts. Moreover, references to various elements described herein, are made collectively or individually when there may be more than one element of the same type. However, such references are merely exemplary in nature. It may be noted that any reference to elements in the singular may also be construed to relate to the plural and vice-versa without limiting the scope of the disclosure to the exact number or type of such elements unless set forth explicitly in the appended claims. 
     Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open-ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. 
     It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context dictates otherwise. Although any systems and methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present disclosure, the preferred systems, and methods are now described. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, and in which example embodiments are shown. Embodiments of the present disclosure may, however, be embodied in alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The examples set forth herein are non-limiting examples and are merely examples among other possible examples. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a perspective view of a foil wrap storage box  100 , according to an embodiment.  FIG.  1    is described in conjunction with  FIGS.  2 A,  2 B,  3 A, and  3 B . The foil wrap storage box  100  may correspond to a storage box for foils and wraps of different materials with provisions to store and dispense the foils and wraps systematically at the convenience of a user. In one embodiment, the foil wrap storage box  100  may correspond to storing and dispensing foils and wraps, such as, but not limited to, tin foils and plastic foils. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , the foil wrap storage box  100  may comprise a base portion  102 , first side panels  104 , and second side panels  106 . The base portion  102  may define a compartment for storing the foils and warps, between the first side panels  104  and the second side panels  106 . It should be noted that the first side panels  104  may be smaller in dimension as compared to the second side panels  106 . The first side panels  104  may comprise at least two side panels placed parallel to each other, as shown in  FIGS.  2 A- 2 B . Similarly, the second side panels  106  may comprise at least two side panels placed parallel to each other, as shown in  FIGS.  3 A- 3 B . Further, the foil wrap storage box  100  may comprise a top portion  108  disposed over the first side panels  104  and the second side panels  106 . It should be noted that the dimension of the first side panels  104 , the second side panels  106 , and the top portion  108  may be coupled together such that in an assembled state, the top portion  108 , the first side panels  104 , and the second side panels  106  do not overlap each other to form any rough edges. 
     In one embodiment, the base portion  102 , the first side panels  104 , the second side panels  106 , and the top portion  108  may be made of a material selected from a group of materials such as, but not limited to, stainless steel, reinforced plastic, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Such materials provide robustness and strength to the overall structure of the foil wrap storage box  100 . 
     Further, the top portion  108  may comprise at least one strip opening  110  disposed along a length of the top portion  108 . The at least one strip opening  110  may comprise narrow longitudinal sides  112  and a wide middle section  114 . It should be noted that the at least one strip opening  110  may provide a passage for the wraps and foils to protrude through the narrow longitudinal sides  112  and the wide middle section  114 . The narrow longitudinal sides  112  and the wide middle section  114  of the at least one strip opening  110 , may be constructed in such a way that a cavity may be created over the top portion  108  of the foil wrap storage box  100 . Such cavity may be used to access edges of the foils and wraps stored inside the compartment. Further, the width of the narrow longitudinal sides  112  may be such that to allow passage for the foils and wraps to be protruded out of the compartment. Further, the wide middle section  114  may correspond to a central portion of the narrow longitudinal sides  112 . It should be noted that the wide middle section  114  may be shaped in such a way to easily accommodate hand of the user to locate edge of the foils and wraps and thus allows the user to pull out the foils and wraps. In an alternate embodiment, the top portion  108  may comprise at least two strip openings. The at least two strip openings may be described later in conjunction with  FIGS.  8 A- 8 B . 
     Further, the top portion  108  may comprise at least one slider  116  having a strip-shaped groove  118 , positioned adjacent to the narrow longitudinal sides  112  and the wide middle section  114 . Further, the at least one slider  116  may comprise at least one end stop  120  positioned at one end of the strip-shaped groove  118 , to prevent movement of the at least one slider  116  beyond a track of the strip-shaped groove  118 . Further, the at least one slider  116  may comprise a sliding knife cutter  202 , as shown in  FIGS.  2 A- 2 B , to slide along the strip-shaped groove  118  to cut the foils and wraps. The strip-shaped groove  118  may correspond to a track or a channel to enable the sliding knife cutter  202  to propagate along the length of the strip-shaped groove  118 . In one embodiment, the at least one slider  116  may correspond to a grip to slide the sliding knife cutter  202  along the strip-shaped groove  118 . 
     Further, the strip-shaped groove  118  may correspond to parallel tracks over which the sliding knife cutter  202  may be installed. It should be noted that a gap between the parallel tracks may be equal along the length of the at least one slider  116  i.e. the sliding knife cutter  202  may snugly fit in between the parallel tracks. The gap between the parallel tracks provides a spacing into which the sliding knife cutter  202  may be incorporated. It should also be noted that the gap between the parallel tracks may facilitate smooth motion of the sliding knife cutter  202  over the strip-shaped groove  118 , without causing any jerks. The movement of the at least one slider  116  is described later in conjunction with  FIG.  4   . In one embodiment, the foils and wraps inside the compartment, may be dispensed by pulling an end point of the foils and wraps from the wide middle section  114  and spreading over the strip-shaped groove  118  of the at least one slider  11 . Thereafter, the sliding knife cutter  202  may propagate across width of the foils and wraps and thus allows the user to select the desired length of the foils and wraps. 
     As discussed above, the at least one slider  116  having the at least one end stop  120  positioned at one end of the strip-shaped groove  118 , to prevent movement of the at least one slider  116  and the sliding knife cutter  202  beyond the parallel tracks of the strip-shaped groove  118 . In one embodiment, the at least one end stop  120  may provide obstruction for the sliding knife cutter  202  from de-railing out from the at least one slider  116  while reaching to the one end of the strip-shaped groove  118 . Further, the sliding knife cutter  202  may get interlocked within the gap between the parallel tracks of the strip-shape groove  118 , to facilitate sliding movement of the sliding knife cutter  202  along the at least one slider  116 . It should be noted that cutting edges of the sliding knife cutter  202  may be made sharp to enable cutting of the foils and wraps smoothly and evenly. In one embodiment, the sliding knife cutter  202  may be easily attached and detached within the strip-shaped groove  118  using a press-fit mechanism. Further, the at least one slider  116  may be designed in such a way that the cutting edge of the sliding knife cutter  202  is not in proximity to fingers of the user while cutting a sheet from the foils and wraps, and thus provides safety to the user. 
     In one embodiment, the sliding knife cutter  202  may be made from a material selected from a group of material of Stainless steel, Alloy steel, carbon steel, and tool steel. In one exemplary embodiment, the sliding knife cutter  202  may be made from stainless steel to eliminate chances of rust formation over a prolonged usage. Therefore, an anti-rust ability of the sliding knife cutter  202  may allow to maintain the sharpness and smoothness of cutting of the sliding knife cutter  202 . 
       FIG.  4    illustrates an isometric view of the foil wrap storage box  100  with a cutting action (shown by  402 ) of the sliding knife cutter  202 , according to an embodiment.  FIG.  4    is described in conjunction with  FIGS.  1 - 3 B . 
     The at least one slider  116  may slide along the strip-shaped groove  118  to enable the sliding knife cutter  202  to cut the sheet of foils and wraps. In one embodiment, the at least one slider  116  may be positioned marginally above the at least one strip opening  110 , to allow the foils and wraps protruded from the at least one strip opening  110 . The cutting action (shown by  402 ) of the sliding knife cutter  202  may be along the length of the strip-shaped groove  118 , as shown by arrows in  FIG.  4   . In one embodiment, the cutting action (shown by  402 ) of the sliding knife cutter  202  may be executed using a thumb and a fore finger to cut a pulled-out or protruded sheet of the foils and wraps stored inside the compartment. In one embodiment, the foil wrap storage box  100  may comprise multiple sliders with each slider having a sliding knife cutter to be independently used to cut different sheets of the foils and wraps. Thus, the sliding knife cutter  202  enables easy, quick, and flat cutting of the foils and wraps compared to typical sawtooth cutters. 
       FIG.  5    illustrates an exploded view of the foil wrap storage box  100 , according to an embodiment.  FIG.  5    is described in conjunction with  FIG.  1   . 
     As shown in  FIG.  5   , at least one side panel  502  of the first side panels  104  may be integrated with a first set of magnets  504  at both ends. Further, the second side panels  106  may be integrated with a second set of magnets  506  at one end. In one embodiment, at least one side panel of the second side panels  106  may be integrated with the second set of magnets  506  at one end. Further, the at least one side panel  502  of the first side panels  104  may be detachably coupled with the second side panels  106  using the first set of magnets  504  and the second set of magnets  506 . It should be noted that the at least one side panel  502  of the first side panels  104  may be snugly fit into the second side panels  106 . 
     In one embodiment, the first set of magnets  504  at both ends of the at least one side panel  502  may correspond to same poles and the second set of magnets  506  at one end of the second side panels  106  may correspond to opposite poles. Therefore, the at least one side panel  502  may be securely coupled to the second side panels  106  via the same poles and opposite poles of the first set of magnets  504  and the second set of magnets  506 . Further, the at least one side panel  502  may be easily detached from the second side panels  106  by pulling off one end of the at least one side panel  502 , and thus may allow the user to access inside the compartment of the foil wrap storage box  100 , as shown in  FIG.  5   . Further, the at least one side panel  502  may be removed easily and may be covered without falling off the Such detachable design of the foil wrap storage box  100  makes it very convenient for the user to put in and take out the foils and wraps, and thus saves time. It should be noted that the first set of magnets  504  and the second set of magnets  506  may be, but not limited to, a permanent magnet, a temporary magnet, and an electromagnet. 
     Further, a partition plate  508  may be disposed over the base portion  102  and parallel to the second side panels  106 , to divide the compartment of the foil wrap storage box  100  into a first compartment  510  and a second compartment  512 . The first compartment  510  and the second compartment  512  may provide space for accommodating different wraps and foils inside the foil wrap storage box  100 . It should be noted that the partition plate  508  may divide the compartment into two halves and each of the first compartment  510  and the second compartment  512  may have the at least one strip opening  110  with the narrow longitudinal sides  112  and the wide middle section  114 . It should also be noted that each of the first compartment  510  and the second compartment  512  may have the at least one slider  116  with the strip-shaped groove  118  and the sliding knife cutter  202 . For example, the first compartment  510  may store tin foils and the second compartment  512  may store plastic foils. 
     It should be noted that the first side panels  104 , the second side panels  106 , and the partition plate  508  defining the first compartment  510  and the second compartment  512  may restrict a sliding motion or a transverse motion of the foils and wraps when pulled out from the at least one strip opening  110 . 
     As shown in  FIGS.  6 - 7   , the base portion  102  may be integrated with a plurality of hanging holes  602  to mount the foil wrap storage box  100  onto a wall (not shown). In one embodiment, the plurality of hanging holes  602  may correspond to at least three gourd shaped openings. In one embodiment, at least two gourd shaped openings of the at least three gourd shaped openings may be positioned inline above at least one gourd shaped openings to form a triangular shape to enable steady fixture of the foil wrap storage box  100  over the wall. In one embodiment, the plurality of handing holes  602  may be affixed over the wall using a plurality of fasteners (not shown). The plurality of fasteners may be, but not limited to, threaded screws or nails. Further, each of the plurality of hanging holes  602  may comprise an upper narrow section  604  and a lower wide section  606 . 
     In one embodiment, each of the plurality of fasteners may be inserted into the lower wide section  606  and under the effect of gravity, the base portion  102  may slide downwards and lock the foil wrap storage box  100  inside the upper narrow section  604 . Therefore, this type of orientation may allow the plurality of fasteners to mount and lock the plurality of hanging holes  602 , so that the foil wrap storage box  100  may not easily come out from the plurality of fasteners under variable and irregular loads. Further, the plurality of hanging holes  602  integrated over the base portion  102  of the foil wrap storage box  100 , may eliminate lateral movement of the foil wrap storage box  100 , when the user is accessing the foils and wraps stored inside the compartment. 
       FIGS.  8 A and  8 B  illustrate isometric views of the foil wrap storage box  100  with a plurality of compartments  802 , according to an alternate embodiment. 
     The foil wrap storage box  100  may not be restricted to a particular size and a number of compartments. It should be noted that the size and the number of compartments of the foil wrap storage box  100  may be expanded by stacking side panels transversely to the second side panels  106 , one after another. Further, each of the plurality of compartments  802  may have a top portion with a strip opening having narrow longitudinal sides with a wide middle section, and a slider having a strip-shaped groove, and a sliding knife cutter in a similar fashion, as discussed above. In one embodiment, the plurality of compartments may be provided to store different varieties of foils and wraps, such as but not limited to, tin or aluminium foils, plastic foils, and paper foils. Such type of the foil wrap storage box  100  may be extendible in size as per the requirements of multiple users, for storing, organizing, or dispensing the foils and wraps, and thus save time of the multiple users. 
     Therefore, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the pertinent art that the present invention provides a user-friendly and an inexpensive storage box. The present invention provides convenience to the users for storing the plastic wraps and tin foils, through placement of the plastic wraps and tin foils from the at least one side panel  502  of the first side panels  104 . Further, the foil wrap storage box of the present invention involves use of the sliding knife cutter  202  to cut the plastic wraps and the tin foils from the front strip opening conveniently and quickly, while ensuring that the users do not get hurt while performing cutting operation. Such foil wrap storage box  100  removes reliance on original packaging boxes with chaotic rolls, and therefore, contribute to the safer, quicker, convenient, and enables more efficient task of cutting of the plastic wraps and tin foils. Further, the foil wrap storage box  100  provides user an option to find edge of the plastic wrap and tin foil with their fingers, thereby reducing dependency on the original storage boxes having rolls which look untidy and messy. Thus, such design of the foil wrap storage box  100  make the drawer space neater and eliminates the use of messy original boxes. 
     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for description purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the embodiments of the apparatus illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction. 
     While there is shown and described herein certain specific structures embodying various embodiments of the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims. It may be appreciated by one skilled in the art that additional embodiments may be contemplated. These and other advantages of the mechanism of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     LIST OF ELEMENTS 
     
         
           100  Foil wrap storage box 
           102  Base Portion 
           104  First side panels 
           106  Second side panels 
           108  Top portion 
           110  At least one strip opening 
           112  Narrow longitudinal sides 
           114  Wide middle section 
           116  At least one slider 
           118  Strip-shaped groove 
           120  At least one end stop 
           202  Sliding knife cutter 
           402  Cutting action of the sliding knife cutter 
           502  At least one side panel 
           504  First set of magnets 
           506  Second set of magnets 
           508  Partition plate 
           510  First compartment 
           512  Second compartment 
           602  Plurality of hanging holes 
           604  Upper narrow section 
           606  Lower wide section 
           802  Plurality of compartments