Abstract:
A container for foods or beverages is provided which includes in one embodiment at least one inwardly extending ledge which is formed by creating a bend in the container body proximate to an upper end, and which is adapted to receive a removable sealing membrane to provide multiple storage compartments.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/524,945, filed on Nov. 24, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to containers, and more specifically food and beverage containers with one or more distinct compartments, and including in one embodiment an integral ledge with an easy pour feature which is adapted to support a sealing membrane.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Due to the vast variety of food and beverage items available to the consuming public, it is desirable to have a storage container which is durable, generally airtight, safe, and which is capable of storing multiple associated products in one compact, easy opening container. This type of container helps alleviate the problem of limited shelf space, allows stacking without causing package and/or product deformation, and keeps associated products in close proximity. Thus, products such as a cake mix and the appropriate cake topping may be shipped and stored in one container without misplacement or damage. Other similar products such as yogurt and granola or non perishable items can also be stored in one easy opening, compact container.  
         [0004]     Although it is known in the art to provide plastic containers with multiple compartments, these types of containers are not durable, and are susceptible to breaking and cracking during shipping. Additionally, depending on the type of food product being stored, it is possible for the taste of the food to become tainted due to scalping from the plastic materials. Further, since plastic and cardboard products can be squeezed and the shape altered, the internal components can easily become damaged or inadvertently mixed, and based on the limited compressive strength, the materials are generally not conducive to stacking in large volumes.  
         [0005]     Although there are a variety of different container shapes used to store food or beverage products, the vast majority of metallic containers and cans have a large open end with a diameter substantially the same as the lower end. This shape allows for stacking, which is highly beneficial and problematic with bottle shaped containers. However, when beverages or flowable food items or powders are poured with a conventional cylinder shaped container, there is often spillage due to the non-controlled rate of flow. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a metallic food or beverage container which has a reduced diameter, funnel type neck to reduce the rate of flow, yet is stackable for storage and shipping purposes. Additionally, the funnel necked ledge of the present invention in one embodiment utilizes a smooth exiting feature which allows for an easy pour container.  
         [0006]     It is a further problem in the container industry to change the geometric shape and features of a food or beverage container without having to invest significant capital in machinery, tooling and production lines. Thus, it is significant challenge to make major container design revisions, yet utilize existing container manufacturing equipment and processes. Accordingly, these problems and the others set forth above are addressed herein with the present invention.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     It is thus one aspect of the present invention to provide a cost effective container which has multiple compartments which are substantially isolated to store distinct food or beverage items. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention a first inwardly extending ledge is provided which is adapted to support a selectively removable membrane such as a foil or plastic material, and which is temporarily interconnected to the inwardly extending ledge with an adhesive or other similar material. Preferably the material is substantially impermeable. In another embodiment of the present invention, a second inwardly extending ledge is provided to create at least three distinct and separable compartments. Similar to the first inwardly extending ledge, a second sealable membrane such as aluminum or tin foil or plastic is temporarily sealed to the second inwardly extending ledge until the appropriate time for opening. As appreciated by one skilled in the art, the multiple compartments can be used to preserve and store any variety of foodstuffs or liquids, such as a yogurt and granola, cake batter and cake frosting, assortments of snack foods such as peanuts, almonds, cashews, or any other combination of foods and/or beverages.  
         [0008]     It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a container opening which restricts the flow rate of the product being poured from the container, and thus helps prevent spillage. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention a restricted diameter, funnel shaped neck portion is provided which is integral to the body of the container, and may include a number of different shapes or diameters depending on the specific application. In one embodiment, an integral ledge is provided which has a smooth, easy pouring geometry, yet provides sufficient surface area on an upper surface to allow the removable attachment of a sealing closure such as a heat sealed plastic material.  
         [0009]     It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a restricted diameter neck portion, with the upper end of the container having substantially the same diameter as the lower end, and utilizing a geometric profile which facilitates stacking and shipping. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the reduced diameter funnel shaped neck portion is formed by at least one inwardly extending ledge, yet the upper end of the container has a sufficient diameter to allow stacking.  
         [0010]     It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a multi-compartment container which can be manufactured with well known metal container manufacturing equipment. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, a container with multiple compartments is originally formed from a blank piece of metal such as aluminum, steel or tin and which is selectively formed to have one or more inwardly oriented ledges which are adapted to support a sealable membrane and/or a sealed end closure.  
         [0011]     It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a metallic container with multiple compartments with a double seamed end closure to provide a durable, stackable container. In one embodiment, the durable double seam is provided to interconnect an end closure to the container which is tamper resistant, airtight and which is generally opened with a can opener. Alternatively, the container open end may be sealed with a substantially impermeable membrane such as plastic, tin or aluminum foil and may or may not be resealable or adapted for repeated use.  
         [0012]     Thus, in one aspect of the present invention, a metal container is provided having at least two distinct storage compartments and which comprises: 
        a container body having a closed end, an open end, and side walls extending therebetween;     a first inwardly extending ledge created generally by a fold in an upper portion of said side walls;     a peripheral cover hook positioned on said open end of said container body, said peripheral cover hook having substantially no exposed edges;     a first sealable membrane interconnected to said first inwardly extending ledge; and     an end closure interconnected to said peripheral cover hook, wherein a first compartment is created below said first sealable membrane and a second compartment is created between said removable lid and said first sealable membrane.       
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional front elevation view of an unopened container;  
         [0019]      FIG. 1A  is a cross-sectional front elevation view of the invention depicted in  FIG. 1  with a lid removed from an upper portion of the container;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention with a tapered neck, shown in an unopened position;  
         [0021]      FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional front elevation view of the invention shown in  FIG. 2 , with a lid removed from an upper portion of the container;  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional, front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 3A  is a cross-sectional, front elevation view of the invention shown in  FIG. 3  with a lid removed from an upper portion of the container;  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional, front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention and depicting three distinct storage compartments;  
         [0025]      FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional, front elevation view of the invention shown in  FIG. 4  with a lid removed from an upper portion of the container;  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional, front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, having three distinct storage compartments and a double seamed end closure;  
         [0027]      FIG. 5A  is a cross-sectional, front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention shown with two distinct compartments and a double seamed end closure;  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  is an alternative embodiment of the present invention, and depicting a one compartment container with an easy pour ledge and a sealing membrane extending upwardly along the container chuck wall; and  
         [0029]      FIG. 6A  is a front elevation view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  with the selectively removable lid withdrawn from the container. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0030]     Referring now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-5A  depict various embodiments of the present invention. More specifically, and referring now to  FIG. 1 , a container  2  is provided which is generally comprised of a container closed end  4  (not shown) a container open end  6 , and a neck  8  positioned proximate to the container open end  6 . Although the container  2  is generally comprised of a metallic material such as tin or aluminum, it is feasible that the container  2  could be comprised of plastics, styrofoam or other materials well known in the art. The neck  8  is integrally interconnected to a first inwardly extending ledge  14 , and which is adapted to support a sealable membrane  22  such as a tin foil, aluminum foil, plastic, or other material which in one embodiment is substantially impermeable. The container open end  6  is further comprised of a peripheral cover hook  10  which has a peripheral cover hook leading edge  12 . Preferably, the peripheral cover hook leading edge  12  is turned inwardly to substantially eliminate any sharp leading edges which could potentially cut a user during opening or removal and closure of a lid  18 . Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , a removable end closure  18  is provided which has a resilient lip  24  with a slightly reduced diameter to resiliently engage the peripheral cover hook  10  prior to opening and to assure that the end closure does not inadvertently become disengaged. As appreciated by one skilled in the art, and as shown in  FIG. 1A , the removable lid  18  may be selectively removed from the container  2  and replaced when necessary to prevent spillage.  
         [0031]     Referring now to  FIG. 1A , the container  2  depicted in  FIG. 1  is shown with the removable lid  18  detached for clarity. Furthermore, the sealable membrane  22  has been selectively removed from the first inwardly extending ledge  14  to allow access to the lower compartment. Thus, the embodiment of  FIG. 1  depicts a two compartment container, with the first storage compartment being defined between the removable lid  18  and the sealable membrane  22 , while the second storage compartment is defined between the sealable membrane  22  and the lower portion of the can. As appreciated by one skilled in the art, the stored materials may be any combination of dry products and/or liquids depending on the application. Furthermore, the removable lid  18  may be replaced with a double-seamed metal end closure which is selectively removed with a can opener or other opening device.  
         [0032]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 2 A, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is provided herein, wherein a tapered neck  20  is provided on the neck  8  portion of the can. In this embodiment, the tapered neck  20  reduces the flow rate of material poured from the container  2 , and thus acts as a funnel to substantially prevent spillage. As appreciated by one skilled in the art, the actual diameter or geometry of the funnel shaped neck can be any variety of dimensions and shapes, depending on the application. For example, containers designed to store liquids may have a very small diameter opening, while containers designed for powders or food items may have a larger diameter. It is a further advantage in this design to provide a container upper end which has a diameter substantially the same as the lower end to facilitate stacking, and thus reduce the space requirements during storage and/or shipping.  
         [0033]     As further depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 2 A, a first inwardly extending ledge  14  is provided at the uppermost portion of the tapered neck  20 , and which is used to support a sealable membrane  22  such as tin foil, aluminum foil, plastic, and other similar materials known in the art. Preferably, the sealable membrane  22  is interconnected to the upper surface of the first inwardly extending ledge  14  by the use of an adhesive, heat welding, or other means well known in the art. Further, the sealable membrane  22  preferably has a pull tab or other similar device which allows easy access and provides a user with a handle to remove the sealable membrane  22 . Alternatively, it is conceivable that the sealable membrane may be punctured to obtain access to a specific storage compartment.  
         [0034]      FIG. 2A  shows the embodiment of  FIG. 2  with the end closure  18  removed from the peripheral cover hook  10 , and which allows the contents of the container  2  to be selectively removed. In one embodiment, the end closure removable lid  18  is comprised of a resilient plastic, polyethylene, or other similar material known in the art which has a resilient lip  24  to engage the peripheral cover hook  10  and maintain the removable lid  18  in a closed position as shown in  FIG. 2 . Alternatively, the end closure removable lid  18  may be comprised of metallic materials, or may be perforated to allow the container  2  to be heated in a microwave oven or other heat source, and which substantially prevents splattering.  
         [0035]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is provided herein, wherein an alternative geometry of the neck  8  portion of the container  2  is provided. More specifically, the first inwardly extending edge  14  is used to create a funnel shape to effectively reduce the diameter of the container neck  8 , while still utilizing a ledge on the upper surface which is adapted to receive the sealable membrane  22 .  FIG. 3A  depicts the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  with the end closure  18  detached from the peripheral cover hook  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 3 A, it is thus another aspect of the present invention to provide the peripheral cover hook  10  with the leading edge  12  curled inwardly to substantially eliminate any sharp edges. Thus, the peripheral cover hook leading edge  12  is rolled inwardly to substantially eliminate an exposed edge, while the peripheral cover hook  10  further provides a curled edge for resilient engagement with a removable end closure  18 .  
         [0036]     Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 4 A, another embodiment of the present invention is provided herein wherein a three compartment container is provided to seal and independently store three different food or beverage products in one container. More specifically,  FIG. 4  depicts a container having a first inwardly extending edge  14 , a second inwardly extending edge  16 , and a removable end closure  18  positioned on an upper most portion of the container  2 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 4 A, the addition of the second inwardly extending ledge  16  creates three distinct compartments defined by a first space created between the removable lid  18  and second inwardly extending ledge  16 , a second space defined by the second inwardly extending edge  16  and the first inwardly extending ledge  14 , and a third space defined by the first inwardly extending ledge  14  and the lowermost portion of the container.  FIG. 4A  depicts the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  with the removable end closure  18  in an open position to allow access to the container contents, while the sealable membrane  22  has been removed from both the first inwardly extending ledge  14  and the second inwardly extending ledge  16 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 4 A, the inwardly extending ledges are generally crated by folds in the container sidewalls.  
         [0037]     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 5 A, two alternative embodiments of the present invention are provided herein, wherein the removable lid  18  has been replaced with a double seamed lid  28  which is sealed in a substantially airtight manner to the neck  8  portion of the container  2 . As appreciated by one skilled in the art, each embodiment shown in the drawings may utilize a double seamed or welded type of end closure  18 , or a removable type of plastic lid or other similar device. More specifically, and referring now to  FIG. 5 , a container  2  is provided which has three distinct compartments for storage purposes. More specifically, the first compartment is defined by the double seamed end closure  28  and the second inwardly extending ledge  16 . The second compartment is defined by the second inwardly extending ledge  16  and the first inwardly extending ledge  14 . The third compartment is defined by the first inwardly extending ledge  14  and the lower portion of the container. Alternatively, and as appreciated by one skilled in the art, four or more (or less) compartments may be provided depending on the application.  
         [0038]     Thus,  FIG. 5  can be used to store three distinct and separable materials which may be used in combination when the container is opened. For example, a Chinese noodle dish may be provided which includes a meat product in the lower portion of the container, a dried noodle product in the second portion of the container, and a seasoned sauce in the third distinct storage compartment of the container  2 . Further, the double seamed lid  28  may be opened with a can opener or other means well known in the art and which allows stacking of the container  2  in a durable container lid which is not as susceptible to damage as a plastic end closure  18  as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . Furthermore, and as appreciated by one skilled in the art, when the double seamed lid  28  is removed from the container neck  8 , a selectively removable lid (not shown) may be placed on the double seam  26  for storage purposes, such as what is typically used with a coffee can after the welded or double seamed end is removed with a can opener.  
         [0039]     Referring now to  FIG. 5A , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is provided herein, wherein a double seam  26  is used to interconnect a metallic end closure  28  to the neck  8  of the container  2 . However, in this particular embodiment there are two compartments as opposed to the three compartments shown in  FIG. 5 . More specifically, a first inwardly extending ledge  14  is provided which also creates a tapered neck  20  to restrict the diameter of the container, and which further supports a sealable membrane  22 . To use the container of  FIG. 5A , the double seamed lid  28  is removed with a can opener or other similar device, and the contents stored in the compartment defined by the double seam lid  28  and the sealable membrane  22  are removed. At this point, the sealable membrane  22  may be selectively removed from the first inwardly extending ledge  14 , to access the food or beverage product stored in the compartment defined below the first inwardly extending edge  14  and the container bottom. Typically, the sealable membrane  22  is discarded, although it is feasible to use a resealable type of sealable membrane  22  which can be repositioned on the first inwardly extending ledge  14 , or which is merely punctured to provide access.  
         [0040]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is provided herein. More specifically,  FIG. 6  depicts a one compartment container with an easy pour, tapered neck  20 . The tapered neck is defined by a rounded neck transition area  32  which terminates at the first inwardly extending ledge  14 . The first inwardly extending ledge is designed to provide a lip with sufficient surface area to support a sealable membrane  22 . In one embodiment, and as shown in  FIG. 6 , the sealable membrane  22  may extend upwardly along a chuck wall  30 , and to improve the sealing engagement between the first inwardly extending ledge  14  and the sealable membrane  22 .  
         [0041]     In one embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , a removable end closure  18  may be provided, and which is preferably a resilient, removable lid comprised of plastic or other similar material and which can be selectively attached or removed with a user&#39;s fingers, as shown in  FIG. 6A . Thus, in use the removable end closure  18  can be used to protect the contents of the container  2  after the sealable membrane  22  is removed from the first inwardly extending ledge  14 .  
         [0042]     Furthermore, and as appreciated by one skilled in the art, the container  2  shown in  FIG. 6  may be sold and used without a removable end closure  18 , and is designed to facilitate stacking, wherein an external diameter of the container closed end  4  is adapted to fit within an internal diameter of the peripheral cover hook  10 , and to rest on the first inwardly extending ledge  14 .  
         [0043]     The following components and numbers associated with the present invention are provided herein for clarity purposes.  
                                             #   Component                                2   Container       4   Container closed end       6   Container open end       8   Neck       10   Peripheral cover hook       12   Peripheral cover hook leading edge       14   First inwardly extending ledge       16   Second inwardly extending ledge       18   Removable end closure       20   Tapered neck       22   Sealable membrane       24   Removable lid resilient lip       26   Double seam       28   Double seamed end closure       30   Chuck wall       32   Rounded neck transition area                  
 
         [0044]     The foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the above teachings and the skill or knowledge of the relevant art are within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain best modes known for practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or other, embodiments or various modifications required by the particular applications or uses of the present invention. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.