Patent Abstract:
A thermal food container comprises a receptacle having an upwardly disposed opening and a bottom and side walls; and a lid coextensive with the opening. The bottom wall includes a first pocket with a first cover operable outside the receptacle, the first pocket being adapted to receive a first thermal storage device. The lid includes a second pocket with a second cover operable outside the receptacle when the lid is secured to the receptacle, the second pocket being adapted to receive a second thermal storage device.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a thermal food container and particularly to a food container, such as a salad bowl, sandwich tray or a food platter, with a portable device for cooling the food.  
         OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal food container with a portable thermal source, such as an ice pack, that can be accessed from outside the container, thereby avoiding the opening of the container and allowing ambient air in when it is needed to replace the thermal source.  
           [0003]    It is still another object of the present invention to provide a thermal food container with a portable thermal source, such as an ice pack, disposed outside the container such that risk of contamination from condensate or ice melt with the food is minimized.  
           [0004]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a thermal food container in the form of a salad bowl, sandwich tray, deviled egg tray or a vegetable/fruit platter made from inexpensive and highly insulating styrofoam and including a thermal source, such as an ice pack, easily accessible from the outside the container.  
           [0005]    In summary, the present invention provides a thermal food container, comprising a receptacle having an upwardly disposed opening and a bottom and side walls; and a lid coextensive with the opening. The bottom wall includes a first pocket with a first cover operable outside the receptacle, the first pocket being adapted to receive a first thermal storage device. The lid includes a second pocket with a second cover operable outside the receptacle when the lid is secured to the receptacle, the second pocket being adapted to receive a second thermal storage device.  
           [0006]    These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a thermal food container made in accordance with present invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a thermal food container made in accordance with the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]    A thermal food container  2  made in accordance with the present invention is disclosed in FIG. 1. The container  2  comprises a receptacle  4  with an upwardly disposed opening  6 , a side wall  8  and a bottom wall  10 . A lid  12  provides a closure to the opening  6  and is co-extensive with the opening. A peripheral groove  14  receives the outer edge  16  of the receptacle to provide a positive closure.  
         [0011]    A pocket  18  is preferably provided in the bottom wall  10  for receiving a thermal storage device  20 , such as an ice pack or gel pack. A cover  22  is preferably connected to the receptacle  4  with hinge  23  for closing the opening to the pocket  18 . The hinge  23  is preferably made of plastic material. The cover  22  is advantageously operable from outside the receptacle to provide access to the pocket  18  and the thermal storage device  20  while keeping the lid  12  closed. In this manner, the container need not be emptied or the contents otherwise disturbed to gain access to the pocket if it were accessible from the inside. Further, the pocket is blocked off and does not communicate, such as by holes or slots, with the interior of the container to minimize any risk of contaminating the contents of the receptacle  4  from ice melt or condensate forming on the thermal storage device surface. The pocket  18  is preferably molded or built in into the receptacle  4 .  
         [0012]    A pocket  24  is disposed in the lid  12  for receiving another thermal storage device  26 . A cover  28  is preferably connected to the lid  12  with hinge  27  to provide closure to the opening of the pocket. The hinge  27  is preferably made of the same plastic material as the cover  28 . The cover  28  is advantageously operable from outside the receptacle when the lid  12  is secured to the receptacle  4  to provide access to the pocket  24  without opening the lid  12 . Advantageously, the lid need not be removed from the receptacle  4  to gain access to the pocket  24 , which would be the case if it were located on the bottom surface of the lid. In this manner, the cold air within the container will remain inside. The pocket  24  is configured such that an air space between the bottom surface of the cover  28  and the top surface of the thermal storage device  26  is provided for insulation. The pocket  24  is preferably molded or built-in into the lid  12 . The pocket  24  is advantageously blocked off from the interior of the container to minimize any risk of contaminating the contents of the receptacle  4  from the any condensate or ice melt formed from the thermal storage device  26 .  
         [0013]    The pockets  18  and  24  may be made separately and then integrated or built-in into the receptacle  4  and the lid  12 , respectively. The pockets may also be molded with the respective receptacle and lid.  
         [0014]    Although the container  4  is disclosed as a salad bowl, with the receptacle being a truncated sphere and the lid  12  being circular, other shapes may be made, depending on the application. The receptacle  4  and lid  12  are preferably made of styrofoam, which is a relatively inexpensive material and possesses good insulating characteristics.  
         [0015]    The bottom wall  10  of the pocket  18  is preferably made of a rigid plastic material that allows heat transfer between the contents and the heat storage device  20 . The bottom  29  of the pocket  24  is also made of a thin rigid plastic material that allows heat transfer between the thermal storage device  26  and the interior fo the container.  
         [0016]    The receptacle  4  and the lid  12  may also be made in different shapes, such rectangular. When the pockets  18  and  24  are molded into the respective receptacle  4  and lid  12 , any suitable material may be used that provides heat transfer between the thermal storage devices  20  and  26  the contents of the receptacle  4 , while at the same maintaining a suitable insulation from the ambient temperature. The lid  12  may be secured to the receptacle  4  in a sealing, airtight manner, as commonly found in standard airtight food containers, such as those available from Tupperware.  
         [0017]    A finger clasp  30  is provided for the covers  22  and  28  for convenient opening and closing of the respective covers.  
         [0018]    Another embodiment of a thermal food container  32  is disclosed in FIG. 3. The container  32  may be a sandwich tray, a deviled egg tray or a vegetable/fruit platter, which can be of any shape, such as rectangular. The thermal food container  32  includes a receptacle  34  with a side wall  36  and a bottom wall  38 . A lid  40  provides closure to the opening  42  of the receptacle  34 . The lid  40  is preferably provided with a peripheral groove  44  with inwardly projecting lip  46  that cooperates with an outwardly projecting lip  48  along the outer edge of the opening  42  of the receptacle  34 .  
         [0019]    The bottom wall of the receptacle  34  is provided with a plurality of pockets  50  for receiving a respective thermal storage device  52 , such as an ice pack. A cover  54  is provided for each pocket  50 . The covers  54  are advantageously operable from outside the receptacle  34  to provide access to the respective pockets without emptying the contents of the receptacle which would be the case if the covers were operable from within. The covers  54  are preferably provided with hinges  56  secured to the receptacle  34 .  
         [0020]    The lid  40  is also provided with a pocket  58  for receiving a thermal storage device  60 , such as an ice pack or a cooling gel pack. A cover  62  provides closure to the opening of the pocket. The cover  62  is preferably connected to the lid  40  with a hinge  64 . Depending on the size of the receptacle  34 , multiple pockets may be provided in the lid  40 , although only one is shown. The cover  62  is advantageously operable from outside the receptacle  34  when the lid  40  is secured to the receptacle. In this manner, access to the pocket  60  is provided, for example, for replacing the thermal storage device  52 , without lifting the lid  40  off the receptacle  34 , thereby maintaining the temperature within the receptacle.  
         [0021]    The receptacle  34  and the lid  40  may be made of any suitable material, such as styrofoam, which is relatively inexpensive and has good insulating properties. The pockets  50  and  58  may be made with rigid plastic material that permits heat transfer between the thermal storage devices  52  and  60  and the contents of the receptacle  34 . In addition, the peripheral portion of the cover  40  may be made with a flexible material, such as plastic, to provide the lip  46  to flex and grasp the lip  48  of the receptacle. The engagement of the cover  40  with the receptacle  34  may be in a sealing, airtight manner, as commonly found in standard airtight food containers, such as those available from Tupperware.  
         [0022]    The pockets disclosed in the embodiments above are preferably molded or built-in with the respective container components.  
         [0023]    While this invention has been described as having preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modification, uses and/or adaptations following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5