Abstract:
Disposable packaging, comprising a container ( 1 ) that defines a main compartment ( 2 ) and at least an additional compartment ( 3 ). The container ( 1 ) is bowl-shaped and is closed on the upper side by a film, or by a cover, in order to prevent the main food component contained inside the main compartment ( 2 )—from coming out. Moreover, the additional compartment ( 3 ) is closed by a slidable sealing system of the cylinder-piston type. In the closure position of the piston, which is formed by a plug ( 14 ), the food component contained in the additional compartment ( 3 ) cannot mix with the food component located in the main compartment ( 2 ), whereas in the opening position of the plug ( 14 ), the dressing/seasoning may leak from the additional compartment ( 3 ) through lateral apertures of the plug ( 14 ), at the time the user turns over and shakes the packaging.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to the field of food products&#39; packaging, and specifically to a packaging designed to contain food products that are ready to be eaten or ready for preparation and that consist of two or more components to be mixed together before use.  
         [0002]     For instance, the invention may be used to mix vegetables with their dressings, pasta with sauces or gravies, bread-crumbs % kith beaten eggs (for the preparation of omelettes), meat or fish with their coverings of bread-crumbs (for the preparation of fried dishes), and so on.  
         [0003]     Therefore, the invention is not only useful for the final user, that is, for the person who will actually eat the food product, but could be employed in the kitchen of a restaurant, or in the domestic environment, in order to facilitate or speed up the preparation of food products that precedes their successive treatment (e.g. frying, cooking inside a microwave oven, etc.).  
       BACKGROUND ART  
       [0004]     At present, there are known various kinds of packaging for ready-made food products, that are used both in the domestic and non-domestic environment. These kinds of packaging include a plastic-made container (receptacle) which is open uppwardly—like a bowl—, and which is completely wrapped by a sealing film of cellophane or the like.  
         [0005]     The container has at least one compartment for a first food component to be seasoned, and at least a second compartment for small bags (sachets) containing a sauce or the like.  
         [0006]     The user that has removed the external seating film (or possibly an upper cover of the container) opens one or more sachets available to him, after taking them from the respective compartment, and then pours their content in the compartment that contains the food product to be seasoned.  
         [0007]     A drawback of such a packaging for food is that it is very easy to inadvertently pour the content of the small bags on one&#39;s clothes or on other objects, and therefore this operation is not very convenient and hygienic to carry out. Moreover, since the food to be seasoned usually occupies (due to space optimisation) the whole volume of its respective compartment (forming the greatest part of the volume of the packaging), the operation of seasoning the food product (e.g. salad) is very difficult, if not impossible to carry out, if one wants to avoid to pour (spread) the food product out of the already opened packaging.  
         [0008]     Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a packaging for food, that allows to mix the various components of the food in a hygienic and efficient way.  
       DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION  
       [0009]     The above objects are attained according to independent claim  1 , by means of a disposable packaging for food products, comprising: 
        an upwardly open container;     an upper closure member of the container;     a compartment of the container, for a first food component;     and at least one additional compartment that is integrally formed with the container or rigidly fixed thereto in a non-removable way for an additional component of the food product to be mixed with the first component, characterised in that:     said additional compartment, which is initially sealed, has movable members that may be actuated by the user from the container&#39;s outside, and that realise a communication path between the said compartment and the additional compartment, thereby allowing to mix the component of the food product contained in said compartment, with the additional component of the food product that comes from the additional compartment.        
 
         [0015]     In a second embodiment, according to independent claim  13 , the above objects are attained by a combination between a disposable packaging for a first component of the food product, and a separate and sealed container for a second component of the food product, said combination being characterised in that: 
    the packaging comprises a container with an upper closure member and a lower closure member, a compartment for a first component of the food product in which said components are to be mixed together, and a coupling hole for the connection to said sealed container; and the initially sealed container has movable piston-like members that are actuated by the user and realise a communication path between said compartment, and an additional compartment defined by the separate sealed container itself, after the removal of the lower closure member, after the mechanical coupling of the separate sealed container to the coupling hole, and lastly, after the actuation of said movable members.    
 
         [0017]     The first embodiment of the invention, defined in claim  1 , comprises two distinct variants.  
         [0018]     In the first variant (claim  3 ), the movable members that are actuated (by the user) from outside the container, have the shape of a movable plug and therefore they constitute movable piston-like (plunger-like) members that realise a communication path between the compartment of the first food component, and the additional compartment of the second food component.  
         [0019]     In the second variant (claim  6 ), the movable members are designed to break the sealing means of the additional compartment, and they form—for instance—a push rod or pointed rod having an oblique upper end, designed to break a sealing plastic/aluminium film of the additional compartment.  
         [0020]     The pointed rod or push rod is preferably integrally formed with the container during the plastic moulding process.  
         [0021]     Preferably, the push rod will have longitudinal channels in order to facilitate the leaking of the sauce, dressing, or the like, from the additional compartment.  
         [0022]     The advantages of the present invention will result from the detailed description of its preferred embodiments. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0023]     The present invention and its specific advantages will be described for purely illustrative and non-limitative purposes, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is an axonometric view of the invention, according to the first variant of the first embodiment, without the upper sealing film or cover, and with the plug in the opening position;  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , the plug being in the closure position;  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a vertical sectional view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , without the plug;  
         [0027]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are vertical sectional views of the invention, according to the second embodiment;  
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a view of a detail of the central portion of the container of  FIG. 3 , with the plug in the closing position;  
         [0029]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5 , the plug being in the opening position;  
         [0030]      FIG. 7  is an axonometric view of the lower side of the packaging of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0031]      FIG. 8  is a sectional axonometric view of the packaging, according to the second variant of the first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0032]      FIG. 9  is a schematic view of a vertical section of the packaging shown in  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0033]      FIG. 10  is a schematic view in vertical section, analogous to  FIG. 9 , in which, however, the additional compartment is located centrally in the packaging instead of laterally;  
         [0034]      FIG. 11  is a vertical sectional view—enlarged with respect to  FIGS. 9 and 10 —of the additional compartment containing the dressing or the like;  
         [0035]      FIG. 12  is a view analogous to  FIG. 11 , showing the use of the push rod for breaking and tearing the sealing film, according to the second variant of the first embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0036]     The first variant of the first embodiment and the second embodiment will be described first, referring to  FIGS. 1-7 .  
         [0037]     Then, we will describe the second variant of the first embodiment, with reference to  FIGS. 8-12 . This procedure is dictated by the similarity between the first variant and the second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0038]     In all figures the same reference number is used for an identical component of the packaging, so that the invention may be more readily understood.  
         [0039]     The packaging essentially comprises a container  1  which for instance is obtained from a moulding process of plastics.  
         [0040]     The configuration of the container  1  is such as to give rise to two separate compartments, denoted by  2  and  3  respectively. The compartment  3  is centrally located and has a cylindrical shape, while the greater compartment  2 , that surrounds the compartment  3 , has a substantially prismatic and polygonal shape with several congruent faces. Obviously, these shapes of the compartments are not limitative, and the same holds for the position of the compartment  3 , although for a more uniform distribution of the food product component contained in the compartment  3  towards the inside of the compartment  2 , containing the other component of the food product, the preferred position is the illustrated one.  
         [0041]     The container  1  is formed by: 
        an upper flange  4 , on which a sealing film is applied (not shown), e.g. by heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, adhesives, or any other possible sealing method suited to close the open upper part of the container  1 ;     a side wall  5  with facets (or faces) having a polygonal horizontal section, the side wall terminating at its lower end in an annular projection  6 —also visible in  FIG. 7 —;     an annular lower planar surface  7 —formed on said projection  6 —, to which a second sealing film is applied (not shown) by any known sealing method;     a base wall  8 , extending from the internal upper end of the annular projection  6 , to a cylindrical wall  11  ( 11 ″ in  FIG. 4   a );     a movable base  13  ( 13 ′ in  FIG. 4   a ) used to actuate a plug  14 , this movable base being connected by means of a hinge  15  ( 15 ′ in  FIG. 4   a ) (of reduced thickness), to the cylindrical wall  11  (or  11 ′) of the compartment  3 , in order to reach a convex form when the plug  14  is made to slide inside the “boring” formed by the cylindrical wall  9  (or  9 ′).        
 
         [0047]     Moreover, some pieces of cutlery (e.g. of plastics) or other fittings (e.g. napkins), or additives of the food product, may be received in the annular recess  10  and are retained from below by said film (not shown) which is applied on the planar annular surface of the annular projection  6  ( FIG. 7 ).  
         [0048]     While the preceding considerations apply to both the second embodiment and the first variant of the first embodiment of the invention, in what follows we will first describe in detail the first variant of the first embodiment.  
         [0049]     In this first variant the container  1  is integrally formed (e.g. of moulded plastics). However, the plug  14  forms a separate piece (e.g. of plastics).  
         [0050]     It must be stressed that the plug  14  has been omitted for clarity in  FIG. 3 , to simplify the drawing, since it is shown in any case in the detailed views of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . Actually, when the packaging is purchased by the user, it includes the plug  14  (in the closure position illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 5 ), the film applied on the upper side, that is on the upper annular flange  4  (or possibly a removable cover which is also omitted in the drawings), and the film applied on the lower side, that is on the annular planar surface  7  of the projection  6 .  
         [0051]     To better understand the structure and operation (use modalities) of the packaging according to the present invention, reference will now be made in particular to the  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
         [0052]     The latter figures are representations in vertical section, limited to the central portion of the container  1 , and in particular they show the cylindrical wall  9  of the compartment  3  which contains the sauce or dressing, the lower extension  11  of this cylindrical wall, the circular hinge  15 , and part of the base wall  8 . Moreover, the plug  14  is inserted (in the initial rest position of  FIG. 5 ), inside the compartment  3 , and is in sliding engagement with the inner side of the vertical cylindrical wall  9  of this compartment  3 .  
         [0053]     The movable base  13  for the actuation of the plug  14  includes centrally a cylindrical rib, or annular cylindrical portion  16 , that is integrally formed on the movable base  13 . Said circular rib  16  receives (e.g. by press-fitting) the lower portion of an axial stem  17  of the plug  14 . Moreover, the plug  14  has two circular peripheral grooves  19   a  and  19   b , which are parallel to each other, and the upper end of the cylindrical wall  9  has a (inwardly directed) circular bead or ridge  20  complementary to the shape of the grooves  19   a  and  19   b , adapted to engage with the upper groove  19   a  in the closing position of the plug  14  ( FIG. 5 ), and with the lower groove  19   b  in the opening position of the plug  14  ( FIG. 6 ).  
         [0054]     The exact configuration of the plug  14  may be inferred—besides from  FIGS. 5 and 6 —also form  FIG. 1 . The plug  14  includes a portion shaped like a flanged disc  21 , whose circular flange  18  abuts on the upper end of the cylindrical vertical wall  9 , in the closure position of the plug  14  ( FIG. 5 ); the plug  14  also includes vertical elements  22 , shaped as small rods and extending downwards in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the flanged disc  21 , said vertical elements being integral with the latter. The vertical small rods  22  terminate at their lower end in a cylindrical ring  23 . The plug  14  is able to slide, by means of the external surfaces of its portions  22  and  23 , along the inner side of the cylindrical vertical wall  9 . Moreover, it may be noted that the various vertical small rods  22  of the plug  14 , are arranged at equal angles along the periphery of the flanged disc  21  that forms the upper part of the plug  14 . Thus, the small rods  22  delimit “windows” of equal dimensions, that are clearly visible in  FIG. 1 , and which allow the leaking of the sauce or dressing from the compartment  3 , when the plug  14  is in the opening position ( FIGS. 1 and 6 ). In  FIG. 1  the small rods  22  are at 90° with respect to each other.  
         [0055]     First of all, the user of the packaging shown in FIGS.  1  to  3 , and  5  to  7 , removes the lower film, and then, he/she pushes inwardly the movable base  13  towards the inside of the packaging. The movable base lifts the plug  14  by means of the axial stem  17 , and at the same time it lifts the sauce or dressing contained in the compartment  3  immediately above the movable base  13 . During this operation, the circular ridge  20 —that realised a seal in the rest position of the plug  14  (see  FIG. 5 ) thereby preventing the leaking of the sauce or dressing to the compartment  2 —disengages from the upper circular groove  19   a . In the upper position, or end-of-stroke position, of the plug  14 , the circular ridge  20  engages the second (lower) circular groove  19   b  of the plug  14 , thereby realising again a sealing, so that the sauce etc. can flow only through the windows defined between the vertical small rods  22 . In the position shown in  FIG. 6 , of the plug  14 , the movable base  13  will have an upwardly convex configuration.  
         [0056]     In the preceding description it is assumed that the words “upper” and “lower”, and “upwards” or “downwards”, refer to the orientation of the packaging (and therefore of the container  1 ), that is shown for example in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0057]     Without removing the cover (or the upper film), the user turns over the packaging in order to allow the complete downflow of the sauce, or dressing, or bread-crumbs, etc. through the “windows” or apertures formed between the small rods  22 . Then, the user shakes the packaging in order to perfectly and uniformly dress a salad, for instance.  
         [0058]     At that time, if the food product (e.g. a salad) can be immediately eaten, the user simply removes the upper sealing film or an upper cover, and can directly use the compartment  2  as a bowl.  
         [0059]     On the other hand, in case of a food product that must be fried, the user (in this case a cook) must tear the upper film and pour the content in a frying-pan or the like. However, in case of a microwave oven, it will be possible to directly employ the container  1  as a cooking container.  
         [0060]     Therefore, it can be seen that the objects of the invention are fully attained. Particularly, it will be impossible to pour the seasoning out of the container  1 , since the upper film will not be removed, except when the seasoning operation is completed. Moreover, the sachets (small bags) of the prior art are totally superfluous, and the space inside the compartment  2  may be better used.  
         [0061]     Now, we will describe a second embodiment of the packaging, referring to  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  4   a ,  4   b  and  7 .  
         [0062]     In the second embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , the compartment  3  is formed by a separate container  24  (or “cartridge”), that can be inserted, that is, press-fitted, in a central hole of the container  1 , having an inner diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the separate container  24 . The separate container, indicated by a denser hatching, has a cylindrical wall  9 ′ with a downward extension  11 ′, and may be inserted inside a sleeve  11 ″ of the container  1 . From the details of  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , it can be seen that the downward projection  11 ′ is flanged at its lower end, and moreover it has an annular projection (ridge) acting as a retainer, in order to mutually lock the respective parts. Obviously, the flange acts as a stop, in order to stop the stroke of the separate container  24  towards the inside of the container  1 . The plug  14  is located (in the initial rest position shown in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b ) inside the cartridge  24 , and is in sliding contact with the cylindrical vertical wall  9 ′ of the compartment  3 .  
         [0063]     The movable base  13 ′ for the actuation of the plug  14  has centrally a cylindrical rib, or cylindrical annular portion  16 ′, which is integrally formed on the movable base  13 ′ of the cartridge. Said circular rib  16 ′ receives (e.g. by press-fitting) the lower portion of an axial stem  17 ′ of the plug  14 . Moreover, the plug has two peripheral circular grooves  19   a ′ and  19   b ′, that are parallel to each other, while the upper end of the cylindrical wall  9 ′ has a (inwardly directed) ridge  20 ′, having a complementary shape with respect to the shape of the grooves  19   a ′ and  19   b ′, and adapted to fit inside the upper groove  19   a ′, in the closing position of the plug  14  ( FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b ), and with the lower groove  19   b ′ in the opening position of the plug  14  (shown in  FIG. 2 ).  
         [0064]     The exact configuration of the plug  14  may be inferred, besides from  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , also from  FIG. 1 . The plug  14  comprises a portion having the shape of a flanged disc  21 ′, whose circular flange  18 ′ abuts on the upper end of the vertical cylindrical wall  9 ′ of the cartridge or separate container  24 , in the closure position of the plug  14  (see  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b ); the plug  14  also has vertical elements  22 ′, in the form of small rods, extending downwards in orthogonal direction to the plane of the flanged disc  21 ′, and being integral to the latter. The small vertical rods  22 ′ terminate at their lower ends in a cylindrical ring  23 ′. The plug  14  can slide, by means of the external surfaces of its portions  22 ′ and  23 ′, along the inner side of the vertical cylindrical wall  9 ′ of the separate container  24 .  
         [0065]     Moreover, it can be noted that the various vertical rods  22 ′ of the plug  14  are arranged at equal angles along the periphery of the flanged disc  21 ′ that forms the upper part of the plug  14 . Thus, the small rods  22 ′ form “windows” of equal dimensions, which are clearly visible in  FIG. 1 , and which allow the leaking of the seasoning/dressing, etc., from the compartment  3 , when the plug  14  is in the opening position ( FIG. 1 ).  
         [0066]     According to this solution, the final user can freely choose the seasoning/dressing he/she prefers, by independently purchasing a separate container  24  sealed by the respective plug  14 , and containing the desired type of seasoning, dressing or the like. Then, after having turned over the packaging, he/she removes the lower sealing film and inserts the separate container  24  (sealed by the respective plug  14 ) inside the hole of the container  1 , defined by the cylindrical sleeve  11 ″. Then, the user simply has to push the movable base  13 ′ inwardly, to the inside of the container  1 , and shake the packaging.  
         [0067]     Also in this latter solution, the seasoning or the like cannot leak out of the packaging, since the upper sealing film (or the cover) is removed in the last step, that is at the end of the operation.  
         [0068]     The invention has been described only for illustrative purposes with reference to its preferred embodiments. It goes without saying that various modifications may be conceived by a skilled person, within the same scope of protection.  
         [0069]     For example, the number of compartments  3  is not limited to a single compartment, and if desired, more compartments could be provided if for the preparation of the food product it is necessary to mix together more than two components that must maintained in a separate state up to the preparation time.  
         [0070]     Now, the second variant of the first embodiment will be described.  
         [0071]     The two variants of the first embodiment are similar in that the compartment  3  does not form a separate element (in contrast with the cartridge  24  of the second embodiment, that can be inserted in the container  1 ), but is connected to the container in a non-removable manner.  
         [0072]     With reference to FIGS.  8  to  10 , the packaging of the present invention essentially comprises a single container  1   a , which for instance is manufactured using a plastics moulding process. The configuration of the container  1   a  is such as to give rise to two different compartments, indicated by the numerals  2   a  and  3   a  respectively. The first compartment  2   a , which has a greater size than the second compartment  3   a , contains the ready-made food product (schematically indicated by a hatching in  FIG. 8 ), while the second compartment  3   a  is used to introduce therein the seasoning, dressing, or the like (which is also schematically shown by a hatching in  FIG. 8 ). Thus, the container  1   a  forms a small bowl or small basin, of cylindrical external shape, and having inside it a second cylindrical body, which gives rise to the compartment  3   a  for the dressing, seasoning, or the like.  
         [0073]     It should be noted that the container  1   a  is formed by a thin wall of plastics, that has been adequately shaped in the moulding process, said thin wall being horizontal at the base  8   a  of the container  1   a , and vertical at the cylindrical external wall  5   a  and at the cylindrical wall  9   a  of the inner dressing&#39;s compartment  3   a.    
         [0074]     The thin cylindrical wall  9   a  extends upwards only for a reduced height as compared with the external cylindrical wall  5   a , and then it extends downwards so as to form a kind of “well”; the latter gives rise to the compartment  3   a  that contains the dressing, or seasoning, or bread-crumbs, etc. Centrally, the compartment  3   a  has a push rod or pointed rod  14   a , which internally is hollow, and is formed again by said thin wall of plastic moulding material. Thus, the container  1   a  is really formed of a single moulded piece of plastics, consisting of a thin wall having the described configuration.  
         [0075]     The push rod  14   a  therefore forms an element having a shape like a frustum of a cone, which is internally hollow (see blind hole  14   b ), and which is itself formed by said continuous thin wall. Due to the presence of the push rod  14   a , the seasoning will occupy—inside the compartment  3   a —, an annular substantially cylindrical region, as may be clearly seen in  FIG. 8 . The base  13   a  of the seasoning compartment  3   a , having a bulged shape, is located at a level higher than the base  8   a  of the compartment  2   a  of the ready-made food product, as indicated by the double arrow F. The reason for this will be explained further below.  
         [0076]     Even in this second variant the seasoning or the like is stored separately from the ready-made food product, since a sealing film  14   c  is provided at the upper side of the compartment  3   a  and is applied laterally—on the circular step  20   a —. Moreover, the container  1   a  is sealed at its upper end by a film A, or by a removable cover made of plastics or the like, that temporarily hermetically closes the container  1   a.    
         [0077]     The only difference between  FIGS. 8 and 9 , on the one hand, and  FIG. 10  on the other hand, concerns the position of the compartment  3   a  for the seasoning; in  FIGS. 8 and 9  this compartment  3   a  is located laterally, while in the version shown in  FIG. 10  it is located centrally with respect to the base  8   a  of the container.  
         [0078]     Also in this case the object of the invention can be immediately recognised by the following description of its use.  
         [0079]     When the packaging is still sealed, that is before removing the sealing film A from the upper part of the container  1   a , the user presses with his/her hand on the bottom  13   a  of the seasoning&#39;s compartment  3   a , so as to deform the thin wall of the container at the location of this inner compartment  3   a , as shown in  FIG. 12 . Consequently, the push rod  14   a  will be lifted and will eventually pierce the closing film  14   c  of the inner compartment  3   a . Without relieving this pressure, the user slowly turns over the packaging, in order to allow the complete downflow of the seasoning or dressing towards the inside of the compartment  2   a  that contains the food products to be dressed (salad, other vegetables, etc.). Then, the user will simply have to shake the packaging to obtain a perfectly and uniformly dressed salad. At the end of this operation, the external film A (shown clearly in  FIG. 8 ) will be detached. From the above description, it follows that in order to prevent an accidental piercing of the film  14   c  that seals the compartment  3   a  for the seasoning/dressing, during packing, transport and selling operations, it is necessary to provide a safety space (denoted by the double arrow F), that has already been mentioned without however clarifying its function.  
         [0080]     For completeness, and referring again to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , it should be noted that according to practical tests it results that the downflow of the seasoning/dressing from the compartment  3   a  is facilitated by the presence of small channels on the lateral surface of the push rod  14   a  used for piercing the closure film  14   c . Thus, the lateral wall of the push rod  14   a  is recessed (“milled”) on diametrically opposite sides of the push rod, in such a way as to give rise to respective longitudinal channels, of half-cylindrical shape, which extend each as far as the upper end of the push rod  14   a ; this end is slanted in order to facilitate piercing of the film  14   c.    
         [0081]     In  FIG. 11 , the arrow P denotes the path of the air (directed towards the inside of the compartment  3   a ) after piercing of the film  14   c  (see  FIG. 12 ), whereas the arrow Q denotes the path of the seasoning/dressing or the like, that flows out of the compartment  3   a  and reaches the adjacent compartment  2   a.    
         [0082]     The advantages of the present invention are obvious to the skilled person. In fact, the packaging must be opened only shortly before the food product is eaten, and the system guarantees a perfect dressing.  
         [0083]     Although the invention has been extensively described with regard to two distinct—but specific—embodiments thereof, a skilled person may easily imagine several constructive modifications without thereby arriving at results out of the scope of protection conferred by this document.  
         [0084]     The structure of the packaging may also be more complex. The container could—for instance—comprise a sealing and removable cover in lieu of the film A, and/or a sliding push rod  14   a  which slides with respect to the base  13  of the compartment  3   a . All these modifications are obviously within the reach of the ordinary skilled person that has taken cognisance of the solutions proposed herein, and for this reason they are to be considered included in the present invention.