Abstract:
Packaging, food containers and/or systems for food products are disclosed herein. The packaging, food containers and systems for food products provide a container for food contents and a conveniently packaged utensil for eating the food contents stored in the container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a food storage and serving container having an integrated utensil. 
         [0002]    Increasingly, food manufacturers are packaging individual-serve portions of ready-to-eat foods. Baby food has been packaged in such a manner for years. Such food packaging is designed for the consumer to carry with them and ‘eat on the go.’ However, many foods that are packaged in this manner require some sort of utensil for consumption, e.g., baby food, yogurt, pudding and the like. 
         [0003]    When carrying an ‘eat on the go’ food product that requires a utensil for consumption, issues of convenience and access to such a utensil arise, not to mention sanitation of such a utensil. The issue of sanitation is also of particular concern when the consumer does not eat all of the food product and would like to reseal the container and save the remaining contents for another time. In such a situation, the consumer may be concerned with how to keep the used utensil sanitary, but may also be concerned with how to carry the used utensil around without soiling a bag or a pocket or whatever is used to carry the used utensil. 
         [0004]    Thus, there is a need to provide a convenient and sanitary utensil with such food products. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of the food container system, showing a utensil attached to the lid which may screw onto the food receptacle. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  ( a ) is a frontal view of the lid-utensil of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; ( b ) is a backside view of the lid-utensil of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; ( c ) and ( d ) are side views of the lid-utensil of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is an embodiment of the invention where a utensil is attached to an O-ring-like structure that can then be inserted into the lid of a food container system. (a) is an upper-frontal view; (b) is a side view. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a view of an embodiment of the invention where a utensil is attached to a plank-like structure that can snap into the lid of a food container system; (a) is an upper-frontal view; (b) is a side view. 
       
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention provides a packaging, or food container, system for food products. In particular, the present invention provides means of conveniently packaging a utensil, for eating the contents, with the container for the contents. 
         [0010]    A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a container system for storing and serving a food product comprising a vessel for holding the food, having a mouth and a lip circumscribing the mouth, and a lid, comprising a lid plate, having an underside that faces towards the vessel when the lid is attached to the vessel and a rim circumscribing the lid plate, said rim capable of being secured to the lip of the vessel, and a utensil comprising a shaft having a first end connected to a utensil head and a second end connected to a point on the underside of the lid plate, such that the utensil extends into the vessel when the lid is secured to the vessel. 
         [0011]    Another preferred embodiment of the invention includes a modified-utensil for a resealable food container comprising a means for attaching a utensil to a lid of a resealable food container, a shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to the means for attaching, and said second end of said shaft connected to a utensil head. 
         [0012]    A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a container system for storing and serving baby food comprising: a) ajar for holding the baby food, said jar having a mouth and a lip circumscribing the mouth; b) a lid that may be screwed to the jar; and c) a utensil comprising a shaft having a first end and a second end and a spoon head connected to the second end of the shaft, the first end of the shaft being connected to a point on the underside of the lid such that the utensil extends into the jar when the lid is screwed to the jar. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The present invention provides a convenient and sanitary means of packaging a utensil with a ‘ready-to-eat’ food container. Thus, the present invention provides a utensil for use in a ‘ready-to-eat’ food container for food products such as soups, puddings, yogurt, baby foods and other edible products of similar consistency. Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, a complete food container system is provided in which the utensil is intergrated into the lid of the food container; this results in a “lid-utensil” unit. In another embodiment of the invention, a “modified-utensil” is provided; the modified-utensil is capable of being attached to the inside of a lid to a reusable, resealable, food container system. Thus, the utensil is modified such that at one end is a means for attaching or snapping into the lid. In any embodiment of this invention, a consumer either has handy access to a utensil for consuming the contents or can insert a utensil for handy access. In this way, the “on the move” consumer of such food products does not need to be concerned with: 1) finding a utensil when he or she is ready to eat or, alternatively, remembering to bring a utensil with them; and 2) the cleanliness of any such utensil found or brought. Additionally, when using a resealable and/or reusable container, the consumer need not worry about finding another utensil or storing and keeping clean the utensil for later use since the utensil of the invention remains conveniently housed in the food container/container system. 
         [0014]    Reusable, resealable, “ready-to-eat’ food product containers are well-known, e.g., baby food jars. Such containers and lids may be made from any materials familiar in the art, e.g., glass, metals, polymers/plastics. Similarly, lids may attach to the container, in a resealable/reusable fashion, by any means familiar to those in the art, e.g., screw top or snap top. 
         [0015]    The utensil element of this invention is dimensioned such that it is long enough to fully remove the contents of the container. Ideally the utensil will be designed to extend diagonally across the container to maximize the length of the utensil while still being able to store the utensil in the container. The utensil may be made from a flexible material allowing for greater potential length of the utensil, i.e., the utensil will be forced to bend slightly, or move toward the outer portion of the container, upon tightening of the lid, or cover, onto the container. This insures that the utensil is of sufficient length to extricate all the contents of container. 
         [0016]    Various materials of construction may be used. Flexible plastics are preferred for most embodiments of the utensils. The utensil may also be manufactured from any suitable rigid material. In certain embodiments of the invention (see, e.g.,  FIG. 1 ), the utensil is over-molded or co-molded with a rigid material for the remainder of the lid, thereby resulting in a single ‘lid-utensil unit.’ 
         [0017]    The utensil of this invention is not restricted to the form of a one-piece utensil, but may also be manufactured in any number of components to achieve the overall form of a utensil for consuming the contents of the food container, whilst not compromising the sealing capabilities of the lid to the container or the integrity of the utensil itself and, therefore, the ability to use it to consume the contents of the container. 
         [0018]    Having thus described the invention, it should be apparent that numerous modifications are contemplated as being part of this invention as set forth above, and as defined below by the claims.