Patent Description:
The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.

Salads from food service establishments, primarily quick-service restaurants, grocery stores, grab & go food stands such as at the airport, or the like, are typically sold in plastic containers that typically look like salad bowls with a lid. Often times, the salad and its toppings are packed to the top of the container in order to use all available container space, with the lid possibly stabilizing the entire salad contents.

However, there are problems with this existing arrangement. First, since it is difficult and time consuming to achieve a uniform dispersion of salad dressing on the entire salad within that same container, when a customer pours on the salad dressing, they have no choice but to put it on only the top of the salad, thereby getting too much on some parts and not enough on others. Second, often times, customers use more salad dressing than they need because of this problem. Third, when the customer does attempt to toss the salad, they must either empty the contents into a larger bowl and use utensils to toss, or attempt tossing it in the existing container, thereby losing product and creating a mess. Fourth, when the salad is not tossed, customers often eat the salad toppings because that is what is most accessible and leave the lettuce at the bottom of the bowl. This can significantly defeat the intended texture and experience of the salad, especially when the salads were intended to be tossed (for example, a Caesar salad and the like).

Customers often justify paying two to three times the amount of money for a similar tossed salad, primarily due to the ease of consuming and an intended experience of consuming the pre-tossed salad is greater. Many quick service restaurants often therefore price similar but un-tossed salads lower than the pre-tossed counterparts, because of the real or imagined compromise in their product and not giving the customer the anticipated perceived salad consuming experience and value. Further, when a salad is tossed, different people desire different amounts of salad dressing, dictated by many factors including taste, diet, and the like.

Expandable containers are known from <CIT> and <CIT>.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a salad bowl that can be packaged in a full, stabilized state, but also provide the consumer with the ability to toss the salad within the bowl without creating a mess.

The present invention provides an expandable bowl assembly according to claim <NUM>.

The present invention further provides a prepackaged salad according to claim <NUM>.

The present invention further provides a method for selling and consuming a prepackaged salad according to claim <NUM>.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements.

Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims.

As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide an expandable bowl having an open top and a plurality of configuration changing side members connecting the open top to a base member. The configuration changing side members are designed to allow a user to squeeze, pull, or generally adjust the base member to change the side members from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, thereby increasing the overall volume of the bowl. The expandable bowl may be useful for various products, such as pre-packaged salads, where the salads may be packaged and displayed in the collapsed configuration, thereby minimizing shelf space and being easily portable by a consumer, fitting into backpacks, purses, briefcases, or the like. Moreover, because the ingredients can be packed to the top in the collapsed configuration, the salad ingredients do not move in the bowl, under the lid, so the salad still looks presentable when eaten. The expandable bowl may be changed to the expanded configuration by a user to permit tossing of the salad without risking spillage of the contents of the bowl. Even if the consumer chooses not to toss the salad, the salad is easier to eat than other salad bowls as <NUM>) the ingredients settle, and <NUM>) the consumer can use their non-eating hand to hold the bowl from underneath, using the same round bottom previously used to expand the bowl as a grip/handle. This makes salad eating more mobile, which is also an important advantage with the expandable bowl of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the bowl can include a depression from the bottom and protruding into a base of the bowl, where a user may be able to, for example, spin the bowl on one's finger via the depression.

Referring to <FIG>, an expandable bowl assembly <NUM>, or simply bowl assembly <NUM>, includes an expandable bowl <NUM>, or simply bowl <NUM>, and a lid <NUM> fitting over an open end of the bowl <NUM>.

The bowl <NUM> is formed from a plurality of configuration transition side members <NUM> that can permit the bowl <NUM> to change between an expanded configuration, as shown in <FIG> and a collapsed configuration, as shown in <FIG>. According to the invention the side members include a plurality of notched regions <NUM>. The notched regions <NUM> may be disposed equidistantly about the side members <NUM>. The notched regions <NUM> include an indent shaped generally in an inverted V-shape, where a width of each of the notched regions <NUM> is greater proximate to the open end of the bowl <NUM>. The configuration transition side members <NUM> are generally ring-shaped members with an inside surface forming a portion of an interior of the bowl <NUM>. As used herein, the term "ring-shaped member" describes a member that forms a loop. The shape of the ring-shaped members may be round rings, triangular rings, square rings, oval rings, rectangular rings, or the like.

Non-transforming side members <NUM> are disposed between the configuration transition side members <NUM>. In some embodiments, as shown in <FIG>, the non-transforming side member <NUM> may be disposed between a lid opening and a first configuration transition side member <NUM>. A second non-transforming side member <NUM> is disposed between the first configuration transition side member <NUM> and a second configuration transition side member <NUM>.

The configuration transition side members <NUM> and the non-transforming side members <NUM> are disposed as alternating ring-like members having decreasing diameters from the lid region toward the bottom <NUM> of the bowl <NUM>. While two configuration transition side members <NUM> are shown, additional configuration transition side members <NUM> may be added to create a deeper bowl and a greater difference in bowl volumes between the expanded and collapsed configurations.

The configuration transition side members <NUM> may be angled downward, from a surface parallel with the base <NUM>, from about <NUM> to about <NUM> degrees, when the bowl <NUM> is in the expanded configuration, thus creating a bowl-shaped bowl. The configuration transition side members <NUM> may be angled upward from a line parallel to the bottom <NUM>, or simply angled upward, from <NUM> to <NUM> degrees, for example, in the collapsed configuration. The non-transforming side members <NUM> remain angled downward regardless of configuration. Typically, the non-transforming side members <NUM> are angled downward, from a surface parallel with the base <NUM>, at angle from about <NUM> to about <NUM> degrees. Typically, the downward angle of the non-transforming side members <NUM> is greater than the downward angle of the configuration transition side members <NUM> in the expanded configuration. Thus, in the collapsed configuration, the bottom <NUM> of the bowl can nest within the bowl <NUM>. Typically, by transforming the bowl <NUM> from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration will result in a volume increase from about <NUM>% to over <NUM>%, typically from about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%.

In some embodiments, the base <NUM> may include a plurality of pull regions <NUM>. The pull regions <NUM> may be, for example, a flattened region on the circular outer circumference of the bottom <NUM> to provide ease in transitioning the bowl from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration.

Referring to <FIG>, a lid <NUM> can be configured to fit over the open end of the bowl. In some embodiments, as shown in <FIG>, a lid 14A can be designed with indented handles <NUM> that permit a package <NUM> to be retained therebetween. The package <NUM> may be, for example, a salad dressing that can be packaged inside the closed bowl assembly <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, a bowl assembly 10A can include a bowl with structural reliefs <NUM> disposed between each of the configuration transition side members to permit the bowl to change configurations. <FIG> shows an embodiment of a bowl assembly 10B with both the structural reliefs <NUM> as well as notched regions <NUM> disposed as generally linear notches in the configuration transition side members.

While <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG> show various configuration transition side members, regardless of the embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, an outer circumference <NUM> of the configuration transition side member 16A is maintained in a constant position, while the inside circumference <NUM> moves as the configuration transition side member 16A changes between the expanded and collapsed configurations. When the side member 16A is generally parallel to a base (not shown in <FIG>, see base <NUM> in <FIG>, for example), the inside circumference <NUM> is reduced, resulting in the flexing as shown in <FIG>. The structural reliefs <NUM> help permit this flexing.

Various parameters of the structural reliefs <NUM> and/or notched regions <NUM>, <NUM> may influence the transition between the collapsed and expanded configurations. In addition to the number of structural reliefs and/or notches, the depth and width of the structural reliefs and/or notches are also important in determining how easily the bowl transitions and stays in the expanded bowl state once transitioned. If the structural reliefs and/or notches are few, small in width or depth, the bowl will not transition easily and will stay in the bowl shape once transitioned therein. The more in number, wider and/or deeper structural reliefs and/or notches, will make facilitation easier but has the potential for the bowl not to be stable in the expanded state, as it may be prone to go back to the collapsed state.

Similarly, the notched regions <NUM>, <NUM> also help permit this flexing. In some embodiments, a configuration transition side member 16X, as shown in <FIG>, may be formed as side member 16B or 16C, as shown in <FIG>, with hinged region <NUM> and relief region <NUM>, which may take various forms to permit configuration change.

Referring back to <FIG>, various considerations are taken to determine the optimal configuration for permitting flexing of the configuration transition side members to change between the expanded and collapsed configurations. D<NUM> refers to the inside diameter of one of the configuration transition side members 16A in an expanded configuration. Iw refers to the width of the side member 16A. As can be seen from <FIG>, as the axis of the side member 16A along the width, Iw, indicated by line <NUM>, is moved from the expanded configuration (as shown in <FIG>) to the transition position, indicated by line <NUM>, through angle theta, where arrow <NUM> indicates the side member's movement, the D<NUM> is decreased to a D(transition). Center line <NUM> shows an axis orthogonal to the base <NUM> of the bowl. This reduction in diameter results in the transition mode shown in <FIG>. As movement continues to the collapsed configuration (see <FIG>), the D(transition) is permitted to enlarge back to the D<NUM>, thereby locking the bowl in the collapsed configuration. In other words, the transition configuration, as shown in <FIG> is a higher energy state that requires energy to move between the collapsed and expanded configurations, and, when the bowl is in either the collapsed or expanded configuration, this "ground state" configuration is locked in so that undesired transition does not occur.

Several factors have been considered with respect to flipping performance, including number and size of the notched regions <NUM>, diameter and thickness of the configuration transition side members, steepness of the angle of the side members in the expanded configuration, and the like. In some embodiments, <NUM> to <NUM> notched regions <NUM>, typically <NUM> to <NUM> notched regions <NUM> for single portion salad bowls, may be disposed equidistantly about each of the configuration transition side members <NUM>.

Additionally, the material used for the bowl may influence the flipping performance. However, because of the ability to vary the size, shape and number of the notched regions, for example, one can make use of a wide variety of packaging materials, such as different plastics and the like.

Referring now to <FIG>, a bowl <NUM> can include the features discussed above with respect to bowl assembly <NUM> and may further include a depression <NUM> formed on a bottom surface <NUM> thereof. In some embodiments, the depression <NUM> may extend into the interior of the bowl <NUM> as a protrusion therein. In other embodiments, the depression <NUM> may be of a depth to minimize protrusion into the bowl <NUM>. For example, a thickness of the bottom surface <NUM> of the bowl <NUM> may be made thick enough to permit the depression <NUM> to be formed on the outside of the bottom surface <NUM> of the bowl <NUM> while minimizing the protrusion into the interior of the bowl <NUM>. In other embodiments, the depth of the depression <NUM> may approximate a height of the protrusion into the bowl.

Regardless of configuration, the depression <NUM> may provide a finger hold for the bowl <NUM> and may also provide a location for a user to carry, balance and/or spin to bowl on one's finger.

Claim 1:
An expandable bowl assembly (<NUM>) comprising:
a bowl (<NUM>),
a lid (<NUM>) operable to cover a top opening of the bowl,
one or more configuration transition side members (<NUM>) extending between a top opening toward a base (<NUM>) of the bowl, each of the one or more configuration transition side members (<NUM>) formed as a ring-shaped member having an inner surface defining a portion of an interior of the bowl,
two or more non-transforming side members (<NUM>) disposed between the top opening and the one or more configuration transition side members, each of the two or more non-transforming side members (<NUM>) formed as a ring-shaped member having an inner surface defining another portion of the interior of the bowl;
and a plurality of notched regions (<NUM>) formed in each of the one or more configuration transition side members (<NUM>), wherein the inner surface of each of the two or more non-transforming side members are smooth and continuous about the ring shape, wherein the bowl is transformable between an expanded configuration, where at least one of the one or more configuration transition side members (<NUM>) are angled inward and downward toward the base (<NUM>) of the bowl, and a collapsed configuration, where each of the one or more configuration transition side members (<NUM>) are angled inward and upward toward the top opening of the bowl, where an interior volume of the bowl in the expanded configuration is greater than the interior volume of the bowl in the collapsed configuration, wherein at least one of the one or more configuration transition side members is disposed between two non-transforming side members (<NUM>), wherein the one or more configuration transition side members (<NUM>) and the two or more non-transforming side members (<NUM>) are disposed as alternating ring-like members having a decreasing diameter from the top opening toward the base, characterised in that each of the plurality of notched regions (<NUM>) is formed as inverted V-shaped notches with a width of each of the notches being greater proximate the top opening of the bowl.