U.S. patent application number 09/277270 was filed with the patent office on 2002-01-17 for reusable lid with date indicating device.
Invention is credited to FERRETTI, BRUNO.
Application Number | 20020005368 09/277270 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23060132 |
Filed Date | 2002-01-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020005368 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FERRETTI, BRUNO |
January 17, 2002 |
REUSABLE LID WITH DATE INDICATING DEVICE
Abstract
A reusable lid for a food storage container including a device
for removably attaching the lid to the container and a resettable
date indicating device for indicating a critical date of the
contents of the container.
Inventors: |
FERRETTI, BRUNO; (SANDWICH,
MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
S.C. JOHNSON & SON, INC.
1525 HOWE STREET
RACINE
WI
53403-2236
US
|
Family ID: |
23060132 |
Appl. No.: |
09/277270 |
Filed: |
March 26, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/459.1 ;
206/459.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00537
20130101; B65D 2543/00796 20130101; B65D 2543/00685 20130101; B65D
2543/00518 20130101; B65D 2203/02 20130101; B65D 43/14 20130101;
B65D 2543/00083 20130101; B65D 2543/00759 20130101; B65D 2543/00657
20130101; Y02W 30/807 20150501; B65D 2543/00296 20130101; B65D
43/0212 20130101; B65D 2543/00555 20130101; Y02W 30/80
20150501 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/459.1 ;
206/459.5 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A reusable lid for a food storage container comprising: means
for removably attaching said lid to the container: a resettable
date indicating device for indicating a critical date of the
contents of the container.
2. The reusable lid for a food storage container of claim 1 in
which said date indicating device includes a plurality of
two-position indicators.
3. The reusable lid for a food storage container of claim 2 in
which each of said plurality of two-position indicators is a
resettable, indentable dimple.
4. The reusable lid for a food storage container of claim 3 in
which said plurality of resettable, indentable dimples are arranged
into a plurality of groups, wherein each group indicates a portion
of said critical date.
5. The reusable lid for a food storage container of claim 4 in
which said critical date contains a month portion and a day portion
and said plurality of groups includes a first group for indicating
said month portion and a second group for indicating said day
portion.
6. The reusable lid for a food storage container of claim 3 in
which each of said plurality of resettable, indentable dimples has
visual indicia, associated with each said dimple, for indicating at
least a portion of said critical date.
7. The reusable lid for a food storage container of claim 6 in
which said indicia are located on said plurality of resettable,
indentable dimples.
8. The reusable lid for a food storage container of claim 1 in
which said reusable lid is constructed of plastic.
9. A food storage system comprising: a food storage container; and
a reusable lid, removably attachable to said container, including a
resettable date indicating device for indicating a critical date of
the contents of said container.
10. The food storage system of claim 9 in which said date
indicating device includes a plurality of resettable, indentable
dimples.
11. The food storage system of claim 10 in which each of said
plurality of resettable, indentable dimples includes visual indicia
for indicating at least a portion of said critical date.
12. A food storage system comprising: a food storage container; and
a reusable lid, removably attachable to said container, including a
plurality of resettable, indentable dimples for indicating a
critical date of the contents of said container.
13. A reusable lid for a food storage container comprising: means
for removably attaching said lid to the container; and a plurality
of resettable, indentable dimples for indicating a critical date of
the contents of the container.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a reusable lid for use on a food
storage container and more particularly to such a reusable lid
which includes a resettable date indicating device.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] Reusable food storage containers have been in use for many
years and enable consumers to store leftovers and other food
products. One problem associated with these storage containers is
that it is difficult to keep track of the date when the food was
stored in the container.
[0003] Since currently available food storage containers do not
include any indicator to enable the user to mark the date when the
food was placed in the container, quite often these containers are
placed into the refrigerator or freezer without any date indication
at all. This poses a serious health concern to the consuming
public, as the FDA has shown that millions of Americans are
stricken by illness every year caused by the food they consume and
that approximately nine-thousand (9,000) people a year die of food
poisoning. By simply storing food in the food storage container
without indicating the date in which the food was placed in the
container, there is a possibility that the food in the container
will go rancid prior to being consumed. In the event that the food
is not spoiled to the point that it is visibly noticeable to the
consumer, there is a possibility that the consumer will eat the
spoiled food and become sick and/or die of food poisoning. Needless
to say, this is a very serious health concern.
[0004] In an attempt to indicate the date upon which the food in a
container was stored, various companies offer "freezer tape", which
is essentially tape which can be written upon. This tape is placed
on the lid of the food storage container and a storage date is
written on the tape. However, this method is quite inconvenient, as
the use of this product requires the consumer to apply the tape to
the container (removing any old tape which remains from any
previously stored food) and write the food storage date on the
freezer tape itself. Further, this tape will only stick to a
container that is dry and not overly cold. Additionally, this
handwritten date is often blurred and unreadable once exposed to
frost or cold moist air. All these inconveniences add up to a
system that is overly burdensome to use and will most likely result
in the system not being used.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0005] It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a
reusable lid with date indicating device which allows for easy
indication of the date the food was stored or needs to be disposed
of.
[0006] It is a further object of this invention to provide such a
reusable lid which is low in cost and easy to use.
[0007] It is a further object of this invention to provide such a
reusable lid which is totally self contained and does not require
any additional products to function.
[0008] It is a further object of this invention to provide such a
reusable lid which functions regardless of the external condition
of lid.
[0009] It is a further object of this invention to provide such a
reusable lid which is easily resettable.
[0010] This invention results from the realization that a reusable
lid with date indicating device can be achieved by incorporating
into the lid a date indicating device which allows for easy
indication of the critical date of the food stored, where the date
indicating device is easily resettable and functions regardless of
the external condition of the lid.
[0011] This invention features a reusable lid for a food storage
container comprising: means for removably attaching the lid to the
container; and a resettable date indicating device for indicating
the critical date of the contents of the container.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the date indicating device
includes a plurality of twoposition indicators. Each of the
plurality of two-position indicators may be a resettable,
indentable dimple. The plurality of resettable, indentable dimples
may be arranged into a plurality of groups, where each group
indicates a portion of the critical date. The critical date may
contain a month portion and a day portion and the plurality of
groups may include a first group for indicating the month portion
and a second group for indicating the day portion. The plurality of
resettable, indentable dimples may have visual indicia, associated
with each dimple, for indicating at least a portion of the critical
date. The visual indicia may be located on the plurality of
resettable, indentable dimples. The reusable lid may be constructed
of plastic.
[0013] This invention also features a food storage system
comprising: a food storage container; and a reusable lid, removably
attachable to the container, including a resettable date indicating
device for indicating the critical date of the contents of the
container.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the date indicating device may
include a plurality of resettable, indentable dimples. The
plurality of resettable, indentable dimples may include visual
indicia for indicating at least a portion of the critical date.
[0015] This invention also features a food storage system
comprising: a food storage container; and a reusable lid, removably
attachable to the container, including a plurality of resettable,
indentable dimples for indicating the critical date of the contents
of the container.
[0016] This invention also features a reusable lid for a food
storage container comprising: means for removably attaching the lid
to the container; and a plurality of resettable, indentable dimples
for indicating the critical date of the contents of the
container.
DISCLOSURE OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those
skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred
embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the reusable lid with date
indicating device according to this invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a more detailed view of the reusable lid with date
indicating device according to this invention including a plurality
of resettable, indentable dimples; and
[0020] FIGS. 3A-3D are a series of plan views showing the manner in
which the plurality of resettable, indentable dimples are set
and/or reset.
[0021] In accordance with this invention, the reusable lid 10, FIG.
1, for a food storage container 12 includes means 14 for removably
attaching the lid 10 to the container 12. An example of means 14 is
a pair 16 and 18 of downwardly extending radial flanges. One of
these flanges may include a barb 20 so that when flanges 16 and 18
are slid over rolled lip 22 of container 12, barb 20 slides under
the lower edge 24 of rolled lip 22. This, in turn, would
effectively connect and seal lid 10 to container 12. A hinge device
26 may be included to hingedly attach lid 10 to container 12.
[0022] Reusable lid 10 includes a resettable date indicating device
24 for indicating a critical date of the contents of the container.
This critical date would typically be the date when the stored food
was placed into the container, enabling the user to determine how
long the food has been stored. However, this critical date need not
be the date the food was stored in the container: it could be the
date on which the food in the container is to be disposed of.
[0023] The date indicating device 24, FIG. 2, of the reusable lid
30 includes a plurality 34.sub.1-n of two-position indicators. Each
of these two-position indicators 34.sub.1-n is a resettable,
indentable dimple, forming a plurality of resettable, indentable
dimples. In the normal position, these dimples appear on the lid
surface as raised bumps. However, the user can apply a downward
force to the dimple to indent it so that the dimple changes state
from its normal convex shape to a concave shape.
[0024] The plurality of resettable, indentable dimples 34.sub.1-n
are arranged into a plurality of groups 36.sub.1-2, where each
group indicates a portion of the critical date. The critical date
contains a month portion and a day portion and the plurality of
groups 36.sub.1-2 includes a first group 38 for indicating the
month portion of the critical date and second group 40 for
indicating the day portion of the critical date. For example, if
the food stored in the container was stored on May 26; in group 38,
the user would indent button 5 (which indicates May) and, in group
40, the user would indent button 26 (which indicates the 26.sup.th
day). While, in this particular example, the plurality of groups
36.sub.1-2 is shown to contain only two date groups 38 and 40, this
is for illustrative purposes only, as the date indicating device
can contain any number of groups. For example, additional groups
can be added which correspond to: the year portion of the critical
date; the type of food stored in the container (e.g. poultry, beef,
fish, liquid); etc.
[0025] Each of the plurality 34.sub.1-n of resettable, indentable
dimples has visual indicia 42 for indicating at least a portion of
the critical date. For example, the indicators in the second group
40, namely those which indicate the day portion of the critical
date, would have indicia in the form of numerals 1-31 printed on or
around each of the plurality 34.sub.1-n of resettable, indentable
dimples. While FIG. 3 shows the indicia printed directly on the
dimples, this is for illustrative purposes only, as the indicia
could be printed next to the individual dimples. Additionally,
group indicia 44 and 46 can be used to indicate the title or type
of group 38 and 40.
[0026] During use of the reusable lid 30 for a food storage
container, each resettable, indentable dimple 50, FIG. 3A,
initially has a convex shape protruding above the front surface 52
of the reusable lid. When the user applies an inward force 54, FIG.
3B, onto the surface of dimple 50, the dimple is indented into a
concave shape. When the user wishes to reset now-concave dimple 50,
FIG. 3C, an outward force 56, FIG. 3D, is applied to the backside
58 of the reusable lid so that dimple 50 is restored to its
original convex shape. This system enables the user to indicate on
the lid the critical date of the food being stored (e.g. the date
the food was stored). Since the dimples are individually settable
and resettable, the system can be reused by the user indefinitely.
The reusable lid can be constructed of any resilient material, such
as plastic or rubber.
[0027] Although specific features of this invention are shown in
some drawings and not others, this is for convenience only as each
feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in
accordance with the invention.
[0028] Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and
are within the following claims:
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