U.S. patent application number 09/729941 was filed with the patent office on 2002-06-06 for food storage bags with multiple compartments.
Invention is credited to Stutzman, Todd L..
Application Number | 20020067865 09/729941 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24933234 |
Filed Date | 2002-06-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020067865 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stutzman, Todd L. |
June 6, 2002 |
Food storage bags with multiple compartments
Abstract
A refrigerator food storage and freezer bag with multiple
compartments in which different foods may be stored. The bag is
partitioned into separate chambers so that several food items can
be stored in the same bag with each food item having its own
compartment. The number of chambers varies depending upon the
specific storage requirements of the user. For example, the
multiple storage chamber bag may have two, three, or four separate
storage chambers. Each storage chamber has its own pressure zipper
locking mechanism to close the compartment and keep the contents of
the chamber fresh. The multiple compartment storage bag conserves
space within a refrigerator or freezer because multiple food items
can be stored in a single bag, e.g. food items to prepare a full
meal.
Inventors: |
Stutzman, Todd L.;
(Lynchburg, VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Richard C. Litman
LITMAN LAW OFFICES, LTD.
P.O. Box 15035
Arlington
VA
22215
US
|
Family ID: |
24933234 |
Appl. No.: |
09/729941 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/38 ; 383/110;
383/63; 383/907 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 33/2508 20130101;
B65D 31/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/38 ; 383/63;
383/907; 383/110 |
International
Class: |
B65D 030/22 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag having
multiple compartments comprising: a) at least a first and a second
compartment, mutually connected along a common edge; b) said first
and said second compartments each having an individually openable
and closeable mouth; and c) each of said mouths having a seal which
is recloseable during use.
2. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 1, wherein said at least first and second compartments have
said individually openable and closeable mouths are located
opposite and parallel to said common edge.
3. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 1, wherein said at least first and second compartments have
individually openable and closeable mouths located at at least one
end of and perpendicular to said common edge.
4. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 3, wherein said openable and closeable mouths extend to said
common edge.
5. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 3, wherein said openable and closeable mouths are located at
the same end of said storage freezer bag.
6. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 3, having three separately accessible compartments.
7. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 4, having three separately accessible compartments.
8. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 5, having three separately accessible compartments.
9. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 3, having pressure closeable, re-openable zipper seals.
10. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 4, having pressure closeable re-openable zipper seals.
11. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 5, having pressure closeable re-openable zipper seals.
12. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 1, having at least first, second, and third compartments,
each adjacent compartment being mutually connected by radially
directed common edges emanating from a common point.
13. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 12, wherein said at least first, second, and third
compartments have individually openable and closeable mouths
located opposite said common point.
14. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 13, having pressure closeable re-openable zipper seals.
15. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 14, having four separately accessible compartments.
16. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 14, wherein said mouths form the sides of a triangle.
17. The re-useable refrigerator food storage and freezer bag of
claim 15, wherein said mouths form the sides of a square.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to storage receptacles. More
particularly, the present invention relates to storage and freezer
bags having multiple compartments.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] The use of plastic film bags with a closeable mouth such as
by a pressure zipper type closure is well known for the storage of
foods within a refrigerator or a freezer. It would be desirable to
have a multiple compartment bag for storing different foods so they
can be thawed and cooked or warmed together to make a predetermined
meal. Multiple compartment bags would take less precious storage
space in the freezer than a large number of single-compartment
bags. It would also be desirable to have a bag which is
re-usable.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,265, issued Sep. 8, 1998, to Saad et
al., describes various embodiments of a freezer storage bag having
multiple bags. The bag has an inner food contacting bag and an
outer support bag surrounding the inner bag. This bag acts
essentially as a first single bag with a second bag surrounding the
first bag to reduce freezer burn and has no provision for storing
different foods in individual bags.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,855, issued Sep. 19, 2000, to Yeager et
al. Describes various embodiments of a storage bag with multiple
compartments. The bag has a first outer panel, a second outer
panel, and an inner panel constructed from a plastic film. The
panels are connected together to form a storage bag with a first
compartment and a second compartment. A first compartment is made
to contain an absorbent pad or similar material which is saturated
with water and permanently sealed. The second compartment is
attached to the first compartment and contains a sealable and
openable compartment where articles of clothing and the like are
stored which require a certain level of humidity to maintain them
in a useable condition. The first compartment is made of plastic
film which is permeable to moisture. The second compartment is made
of permeable material, at least in the area where it contacts the
first compartment such the moisture may reach the article to be
stored. No provision is made for opening and closing the first
compartment, once it is attached to the second compartment.
[0007] U.S. Patent to Hosier et al. describes a two-compartment
container for containing materials that are to be delivered
simultaneously for mixture of materials that are to be used at
separate times. It further discloses forming more than two
compartments by supplying one or more extra semi-permeable seals.
The multiple bag container of Hosier et al. is not intended as a
freezer bag and is sealed around its contents for a single use,
only. No provision is made for re-closing any of the compartments
for a second period of use. The primary embodiment of the
two-compartment container is to provide an easily rupturable wall
between the two compartments so that the two materials may be mixed
before rupturing the permanent seal to the outside for deployment
of the mixed material for its intended use.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,844, issued Feb. 19, 1991, to Robinson
et al. describes a compartmented double zipper pouch having first
and second pockets adjacent one another with a common wall portion.
Each pocket has an opening with a pressure actuated re-sealable
fastener. This multiple bag is not constructed of material intended
for freezing, and one of the bags has adhesive for attaching to
packages for shipping and thus may not be reuseable due to tearing
during removal from the shipped package. The overlapping
compartments sharing a wall and dividing the two compartments would
not be a suitable configuration for storage or freezing, since
flavors of the different foods may, over time, permeate through
such a wall with an undesirable result. Also, since food generally
contains substantial amounts of water, the shared wall compartment
configuration of the '844 disclosure would result in a bulky
configuration with separation forces developing around the mutual
edges which may result in failure of the bag through the
development of a rupture.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,013, issued Feb. 1, 2000, to Kozma
describes a freezer bag having two compartments. One compartment is
for receiving food through a mouth for freezing and is sealed by
interlocking zippers. A second compartment is formed in the mouth
of the first compartment for holding water which will freeze and is
sealed by another pair of interlocking zippers at the entrance to
the bag mouth. This provides a triple seal at the mouth for long
term storage of foods. There is no separate access to the food
containing compartment.
[0010] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either
singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant
invention as claimed. Thus a food storage bags with multiple
compartments solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention is a refrigerator food storage and
freezer bag having multiple compartments in which different foods
may be stored. The bag is partitioned into separate chambers so
that several food items can be stored in the same bag with each
food item having its own compartment. The number of chambers varies
depending upon the specific storage requirements of the user. For
example, the multiple storage chamber bag may have two, three, or
four separate storage chambers. Each storage chamber has its own
zipper locking mechanism to close the compartment and keep the
contents of the chamber fresh. The multiple compartment storage bag
conserves space within a refrigerator or freezer because multiple
food items can be stored in a single bag, e.g. food items to
prepare a full meal. The inventive multiple compartment bag may be
washed and reused.
[0012] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to
provide a refrigerator storage and freezer bag having multiple
compartments for accommodating different foods.
[0013] It is another object of the invention to provide a
refrigerator storage and freezer bag having multiple compartments
in which each two adjacent compartments share a common edge.
[0014] It is a further object of the invention to provide a
refrigerator storage and freezer bag as above having re-openable
and closeable mouths for placing in and removing food
therefrom.
[0015] Still another object of the invention is to provide a
refrigerator storage and freezer bag as above having zipper
pressure seals for closure of each of the compartment mouths.
[0016] It is yet another object of the invention to provide a
refrigerator storage and freezer bag as above having radial common
edges emanating from a single central point.
[0017] It is still another object of the invention to provide a
refrigerator storage and freezer bag having a central point and
common radial edges as above and having four compartments, the
mouths of which form a square.
[0018] It is yet another object of the invention to provide a
refrigerator storage and freezer bag which is reusable.
[0019] It is an object of the invention to provide improved
elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which
is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its
intended purposes.
[0020] These and other objects of the present invention will become
readily apparent upon further review of the following specification
and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a food
storage and freezer bag having multiple compartments according to
the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 2
with the compartments filled with foods.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a plan view of an embodiment similar to that of
FIG. 1, having sealable compartment mouths at the end of each
compartment.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a plan view of an embodiment similar to that of
FIG. 3, having three sealable compartments.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention
having four radially disposed sealable compartments.
[0026] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The present invention is a food storage and freezer bag
having multiple compartments in which different foods may be
stored. The bag is partitioned into separate chambers so that
several food items can be stored in the same bag with each food
item having its own compartment. The number of chambers varies
depending upon the specific storage requirements of the user. For
example, the multiple storage chamber bag may have two, three, or
four separate storage chambers. Each storage chamber has its own
pressure zipper locking mechanism such as a ZIPLOC.RTM. mechanism
to close the compartment and keep the contents of the chamber
fresh. The multiple compartment storage bag conserves space within
a refrigerator or freezer because multiple food items can be stored
in a single bag, e.g. food items to prepare a full meal.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a perspective and
a plan view, respective, of one embodiment of the present
invention. Multiple container freezer bag system 10 features
two-container freezer bag 12, having first compartment 14 and
second compartment 16. First compartment 14 has lower edge 18 and
upper edge 20, and second compartment 16 has lower edge 22 and
upper edge 24. First compartment 14 and second compartment 16 are
separated along shared edge 26, pre-sealed by heat or other
convenient means. First compartment 14 has mouth 28, and second
compartment 16 has mouth 30 for inserting and removing food, each
respective mouth being located opposite shared edge 26. Mouth 28 is
sealed by pressure zipper seal 32 or other appropriate re-sealable
means. Mouth 30 is sealed by pressure zipper seal 34 or other
appropriate re-sealable means. The two-container freezer bag 12 may
be constructed of upper layer 36 and lower layer 38 of plastic
sheet or film of polyethylene or similar material.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 3 there is shown end-opening multiple
compartment freezer bag system 40, featuring end-opening multiple
compartment freezer bag 42. End-opening freezer bag 42 features
first compartment 44 and second compartment 46. First compartment
44 has lower end 48 and side 50. Second compartment 46 has lower
end 52 and side 54. First compartment 44 and second compartment 46
are separated by shared edge 56, pre-sealed by heat or other
appropriate means. First compartment 44 has mouth 58, and second
compartment 46 has mouth 60 for inserting or removing food. Mouth
58 is sealed by pressure zipper seal 62 or other appropriate
re-sealable means. Mouth 60 is sealed by zipper seal 64 or other
appropriate re-sealable means.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown an end-mouth multiple
compartment refrigerator storage and freezer bag system 40 having a
multiple compartment bag 42, similar to that of FIG. 3, above, but
having an additional compartment added. Third compartment 66
features lower end 70 and side 72. Third compartment 66 is
separated from second compartment 46 by shared edge 74, pre-sealed
by heat or other appropriate means. Third compartment 66 has mouth
76 for inserting and removing food. Mouth 76 is sealed by pressure
zipper seal 78 or other appropriate re-sealable means.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a plan view of radially
disposed, multiple compartment refrigerator storage and freezer bag
system 80. Multiple compartment refrigerator storage and freezer
bag 82 is in the general shape of a square with triangular-shaped
compartments and features first compartment 84, second compartment
86, third compartment 88 and fourth compartment 90, which adjoins
first compartment 84, and are separated by shared edges 92, 94, 96,
and 98, respectively. First compartment 84 is located along a first
side of refrigerator storage and freezer bag 82 and features mouth
100 sealed by pressure zipper seal 102. Second compartment 86 is
located along a second side of refrigerator storage and freezer bag
82 and features mouth 104 sealed by zipper seal 106. Third
compartment 88 is located along a third side of refrigerator
storage and freezer bag 82 and features mouth 108 sealed by
pressure zipper seal 110. Fourth compartment 90 is located along a
fourth side of refrigerator storage and freezer bag 82 and features
mouth 112 sealed by zipper seal 114. Each of these mouths may be
opened through their respective zipper seals and food inserted and
removed as desired. Other sealing means may be employed as desired,
and freezer bag 82 is re-useable.
[0032] The inventive bags of the present invention are conveniently
made from sheets of flexible plastic sheet or film such as
polyethylene, but may be constructed from other appropriate
materials. The multiple compartments present the user the option to
prepare an entire meal and store individual menu items in the
individual compartments.
[0033] It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and
all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *