Patent Description:
Packaging for consumable products come in a variety of sizes, shapes, materials and designs. These sizes, shapes, materials and designs generally differ, for example, for aesthetic reasons. Although consumable product packaging may be provided to enhance aesthetic qualities of packages, the purposes for consumable product packaging are not limited to only this purpose.

Packaging holding particulate, granular or powdered materials is commonly known. Examples of such containers include powdered infant formula and coffee. Nonetheless, there is a need to provide an improved packaging for simply and efficiently administering particulate material from a container. Document <CIT> discloses a cap and container packaging.

The present disclosure relates to a cap and container packaging. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims <NUM> to <NUM>. The packaging can be used to dispense infant cereal products, which may be in the form of particulate and powder materials. In a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides a packaging for infant cereal products. The packaging includes a cap having a hinged lid attached to the cap, and a container releasably attachable to the cap. The cap is removable from the container to allow removal of a desired amount of product in the container using, for example, a spoon or a scoop. In addition, the hinged lid is openable so that a desired amount of product can be poured therethrough.

In an embodiment, the container is in the shape of a rectangular cuboid, and the four opposing sides are recessed.

In an embodiment, the container has rounded corners.

In an embodiment, at least one of the cap and the container is made from polyethylene terephthalate.

According to the invention, the cap includes a threaded portion that is threadingly attachable to a threaded portion of the container.

In an embodiment, the packaging includes an infant cereal product.

According to the invention, the present disclosure provides a packaging for administrating particulate material. The packaging includes a cap having a base panel, four side panels extending from the base panel, and a threaded portion extending from a bottom of the base panel. The base panel defines a hole therethrough. A hinged lid is attached to the cap. The packaging further includes a container that is releasably attachable to the cap. The container includes a top panel, a bottom panel and four side panels extending between the top panel and the bottom panel. The top panel defines a hole therethrough.

According to the invention, the base panel of the cap includes a recessed portion that is so constructed and arranged to accommodate the hinged lid therein.

In an embodiment, one of the side panels of the cap includes a recessed portion.

In an embodiment, the hinged lid includes an extended sealing wall that conforms to a border of the hole of the cap.

In an embodiment, the four side panels of the container are recessed.

In an embodiment, the cap has rounded corners.

In an embodiment, the packaging includes an infant cereal product stored therein.

An advantage of the present disclosure is to provide a packaging that is convenient and easy to use.

Another advantage of the present disclosure is to provide a cap and container packaging having an easy to pour functionality.

Yet another advantage of the present disclosure is to provide a cap and container packaging for particulates or powders whereby users can easily access the contents of the packaging using a spoon or other administering utensil.

Still another advantage of the present disclosure is to provide a packaging for particulate material that prevents or minimizes potential contamination of the material by the user.

Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures.

The present disclosure relates to packaging. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a cap and container packaging for dispensing, administering or proportioning suitable food products, for example, in the form of particulate, granular and powder materials from the packaging containing same. The materials can be any of a variety of dispensable materials such as, for example, baby formula, powdered beverages, flour, coffee, sugar, etc. It should be appreciated that the cap and container packaging can be adapted for dispensing or administering liquids or viscous materials as well.

In an embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the present disclosure provides a packaging <NUM> for administrating a consumable product such as a particulate material. Packaging <NUM> includes a cap <NUM> having a base panel <NUM>, four side panels <NUM> extending from base panel <NUM>, and a threaded portion <NUM> extending from a bottom side <NUM> of base panel <NUM>. Base panel <NUM> defines a hole <NUM> therethrough for the consumable product to pass through. Hole <NUM> can be any suitable shape and size to accommodate a desired amount of food to be poured through by a user. A hinged lid <NUM> is attached to cap <NUM> and can hingedly open and close to cover hole <NUM> of base panel <NUM>. Packaging <NUM> further includes a container <NUM> that is releasably attachable to cap <NUM>.

Hinged lid <NUM> can be attached to base panel <NUM> of cap <NUM> using any suitable mechanism. For example, hinged lid <NUM> can include one or more pegs <NUM> that fit into one or more slots <NUM> of base panel <NUM> as shown in <FIG> (e.g., via a snap fit). Hinged lid <NUM> can then be hingedly opened and closed with respect to cap <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, base panel <NUM> of cap <NUM> includes a recessed portion <NUM> that is so constructed and arranged to accommodate hinged lid <NUM> therein. The shape of recessed portion <NUM> can match the shape of hinged lid <NUM>. For example, recessed portion <NUM> allows hinged lid <NUM> to be fit within base panel <NUM> so that no portion of hinged lid <NUM> is above cap <NUM> when hinged lid <NUM> is in a closed position as shown in <FIG>. Cap <NUM> can also include rounded corners <NUM>. These features provide improved aesthetics to packaging <NUM>.

Side panels <NUM> can be tapered outwardly from base panel <NUM> of cap <NUM>. As further shown in <FIG>, one of side panels <NUM> (e.g., a front panel) of cap <NUM> can include a recessed portion <NUM>. Recessed portion <NUM> allows a user to more easily access and open hinged lid <NUM>. Hinged lid <NUM> can include an extended sealing wall <NUM> that conforms to a border or edge <NUM> of hole <NUM> of cap <NUM>. This provides an additional sealing mechanism to keep the contents of packaging <NUM> from leaking out of hinged lid <NUM> when hinged lid <NUM> is in the closed position.

Container <NUM> includes a top panel <NUM>, a bottom panel <NUM> and four side panels <NUM> extending between top panel <NUM> and bottom panel <NUM>. Top panel <NUM> includes a threaded portion <NUM> extending from top panel <NUM> that defines a hole in which a product in container <NUM> can be poured through. Threaded portion <NUM> of container <NUM> should match threaded portion <NUM> of cap <NUM> so that cap <NUM> can be twisted off of container <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. Cap <NUM> is therefore removable from container <NUM> to allow the removal of a desired amount of product in container <NUM>. Alternatively, hinged lid <NUM> is openable so that a desired amount of product can be poured therethrough by a user.

Container <NUM> defines an interior compartment (not shown). Although the panels <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> of container <NUM> are illustrated as being substantially rectangular in shape, panels <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> of container <NUM> may define any shape that is known in the art. For example, panels <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may be square, rectangular, oval (e.g., oblong), triangular, etc., so long as container <NUM> is capable of housing a consumable product within an interior compartment. For ease of reference, and with this embodiment, container <NUM> is a rectangular body as shown in <FIG>.

As further shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, one or more of the four side panels <NUM> of container <NUM> are recessed. This not only provides an aesthetically pleasing design, but also allows a user to grab container <NUM> more easily for handling and pouring. Container <NUM> can also include rounded corners <NUM>.

Cap <NUM> is sized and shaped to fit with container <NUM>. Container <NUM> is not limited to any particular size so long as consumable products may be contained therein and may be easily handled by a user. The dimensions of cap <NUM> and container <NUM> are such that they have identical or substantially similar peripheral shapes so as to make packaging <NUM> appear as a cohesive unit as shown in <FIG>. The skilled artisan will appreciate that the dimensions of cap <NUM> and container <NUM> may vary as desired or in accordance with manufacturing specifications or in accordance with the size and shape of the consumable products contained therein.

Cap <NUM> is not limited to any particular shape or size, so long as cap <NUM> is capable of sealingly fitting to container <NUM> to prevent loss or contamination of a consumable product housed therein. In alternative embodiments, besides using threaded portions <NUM> and <NUM>, cap <NUM> may be mated with container <NUM> by snap-fitting, pressure-fitting, friction fitting, etc. Cap <NUM> may be fitted to container <NUM> in a resealing manner so that each time cap <NUM> is removed from container <NUM>, it may be placed on container <NUM> again in a sealed manner.

The surface of cap <NUM> and/or container <NUM> can include any suitable gripping textures or portions. The gripping texture or portions may be, for example, a rough surface or dimple grips and may have a shape such as a circle, square, rectangle, triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon, hexadecagon, icosagon, star, ellipse, semicircle, crescent, flower, or combinations thereof.

Packaging <NUM> can include any indicia or instructions printed on a surface of cap <NUM> and/or container <NUM>. The indicia may include, for example, colors, numbers, letters, logos, advertisements, branding information, nutritional information, product information, manufacturer information, etc. The indicia may be printed on a pressure sensitive material, printed directly on cap <NUM> and/or container <NUM>, printed on a removable closure, attached as a sticker, etc. The indicia may be placed on cap <NUM> and/or container <NUM> by a method such as embossing, debossing, printing, engraving, a sticker, or combinations thereof. The instructions can depict or describe, for example, how to serve or administer the contents of packaging <NUM>.

Cap <NUM> and container <NUM> can be made from any suitable materials such as polymers, plastics or other synthetic materials. For example, cap <NUM> and/or container <NUM> can be made from a polyethylene material such as linear low density polyethylene or a suitable polypropylene. In a preferred embodiment, cap <NUM> and/or container <NUM> is made from polyethylene terephthalate.

Cap <NUM> and/or container <NUM> may be formed using conventional thermoforming or molding processes including, but not limited to, injection molding, injection blow molding and extrusion blow molding. Alternatively, cap <NUM> and/or container <NUM> may be manufactured from non-plastic materials including, but not limited to, cardboard, metal, styrofoam, etc..

In alternative embodiments, any suitable portion of cap <NUM> and/or container <NUM> can be either transparent or translucent so that a consumer can readily discern what types of products are housed in packaging <NUM>. Alternatively, at least a portion of cap <NUM> and/or container <NUM> may be opaque. Cap <NUM> may be manufactured from a same or different material as container <NUM> and may be translucent while container <NUM> is opaque, or vice versa.

In an embodiment, packaging <NUM> includes a nutritional product such as an infant cereal product stored therein. The nutritional product or infant cereal product, for example, can include any suitable ingredients such as a starch source and/or a protein source. Suitable starch sources are, for example, grains such as corn, rice, wheat, beets, barley, oats, soy, and mixtures of these. Suitable protein sources may be selected from any suitable animal or vegetable protein source including, for example, meat meal, bone meal, fish meal, soy protein concentrates, milk proteins, gluten, and the like. The choice of the starch and protein sources will be largely determined by the nutritional needs of the infant, palatability considerations, and the type of cereal product produced. Various other ingredients, for example, sugar, salt, spices, seasonings, vitamins, minerals, flavoring agents, fats and the like may also be incorporated into the infant cereal product as desired.

The nutritional product or infant cereal product can include fat sources such as canola oil, corn oil, palm olein, high oleic sunflower oil and high oleic safflower oil. The essential fatty acids linoleic and α-linolenic acid may also be added as may small amounts of oils containing high quantities of preformed arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid such as fish oils or microbial oils.

The nutritional product or infant cereal product can further include a suitable carbohydrate such as, for example, sucrose, lactose, glucose, fructose, corn syrup solids, saccharose, maltodextrins, starch and mixtures thereof. Dietary fiber may also be added if desired. Dietary fiber passes through the small intestine undigested by enzymes and functions as a natural bulking agent and laxative. Dietary fiber may be soluble or insoluble or a blend of the two types. Suitable sources of dietary fiber include soy, pea, oat, pectin, guar gum, gum arabic, fructooligosaccharides and galacto-oligosaccharides.

The nutritional product or infant cereal product can also include minerals and micronutrients such as trace elements and vitamins. Examples of minerals, vitamins and other micronutrients optionally present in the nutritional compositions include vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin D, folic acid, inositol, niacin, biotin, pantothenic acid, choline, calcium, phosphorous, iodine, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese, chloride, potassium, sodium, selenium, chromium, molybdenum, taurine, and L-carnitine. Minerals are usually added in salt form.

Claim 1:
A packaging (<NUM>) for administrating particulate material, the packaging (<NUM>) comprising:
a cap (<NUM>) comprising a base panel (<NUM>), four side panels (<NUM>) extending from the base panel (<NUM>), and a threaded portion (<NUM>) extending from a bottom of the base panel (<NUM>), the base panel (<NUM>) defining a hole (<NUM>) therethrough;
a hinged lid (<NUM>) attached to the cap (<NUM>); and
a container (<NUM>) releasably attachable to the cap (<NUM>), the container (<NUM>) comprising a top panel (<NUM>), a bottom panel (<NUM>) and four side panels (<NUM>) extending between the top panel (<NUM>) and the bottom panel (<NUM>), the top panel (<NUM>) defining a hole therethrough,
wherein the cap (<NUM>) comprises the threaded portion (<NUM>) that is threadingly attachable to a threaded portion (<NUM>) of the container (<NUM>),
wherein dimensions of the cap (<NUM>) and of the container (<NUM>) are such that the cap (<NUM>) and the container (<NUM>) have substantially similar peripheral shapes so as to make packaging (<NUM>) appear as a cohesive unit;
characterized in that the base panel (<NUM>) of the cap (<NUM>) comprises a recessed portion (<NUM>) that is so constructed and arranged to accommodate the lid (<NUM>) therein.