BOWL AND LID FOR FOOD PREPARATION AND DISPOSAL

Abstract

A container suitable for receiving, storing and disposing of food scraps and waste comprises a bowl with matching lid. The lid, embodiments of which are planar, has two tabs that may be bent perpendicularly to engage corresponding slots in the bowl. The bowl has an annular expansion to receive and further retain the circumference of the lid. Embodiments fashion the tabs so that, when the lid is in place with the tabs protruding through the slots in the bowl, the tabs may be further bent upright around the rim of the bowl, further to secure the lid and retain material within the container.

Claims

1. A container for food preparation and waste disposal, comprising: a bowl in combination with a lid, the bowl comprising: a convex receptacle having an open mouth, further comprising an annular expansion proximate the mouth, the annular expansion having two slots within it on opposite sides of the mouth; and the lid fashioned to fit within the annular expansion, the lid having two tabs corresponding to and fashioned to fit within the slots in the annular expansion.

2. The container for food preparation and waste disposal according to claim 1, wherein the lid is planar.

3. The container for food preparation and waste disposal according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the bowl and the lid is comprised of biodegradable material.

4. The container for food preparation and waste disposal according to claim 3, wherein the biodegradable material consists of at least one of paper, biopolymer and bamboo.

5. The container for food preparation and waste disposal according to claim 3, wherein the biodegradable material is coated with a biodegradable coating.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Objects of the present invention as well as advantages, features and characteristics, in addition to methods of operation, function of related elements of structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become apparent upon consideration of the following description and claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures, and wherein:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the bowl of the invention;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the lid of the invention;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bowl in an embodiment of the invention, indicating the bowl's slots with dotted lines;

[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention, showing the lid with tabs bent down directed toward receiving slots in the bowl; and

[0015] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the lid is in place on the bowl, the lid's tabs inserted through the corresponding slots in the bowl, the tabs then bent up around the outside of the lip of the bowl to secure the lid in place.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a side view of the bowl in an embodiment of the invention. Having a concave shape with truncated flat bottom and open mouth at top, the bowl 102 of the depicted embodiment is of dimensions convenient for everyday kitchen use. A representative embodiment measures 9½ inches in diameter at its top and 5 inches in diameter at its base. Annular expansion 104 is slightly wider than the diameter of the top of bowl 102, measuring 9⅝ inches in diameter and having ⅜ inches in depth in the representative embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 2 depicts a top view of an embodiment of the lid of the invention. Lid 208 is a disc 210 of planar material, dimensioned with diameter to match the mouth of its corresponding bowl. In the representative embodiment corresponding to the embodiment discussed in reference to FIG. 1 above, the diameter of disc 210 of lid 208 is 9½ inches. Extending on two opposing sides of disc 210 are tabs 212. In the representative embodiment, tabs 212 are 1 inch in width and two inches in length.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bowl in an embodiment of the invention. Bowl 302 has annular expansion 304 having a diameter slightly larger than the mouth of bowl 302. Within annular expansion 304 are disposed slots 306, indicated by dotted lines. In the exemplary embodiment previously described, slots 306 are 1⅛ inch in width.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention. Disc 410 of lid 408 and annular expansion 404 of bowl 402 are dimensioned so that disc 410 of lid 408 fits snugly within annular expansion 404. Tabs 412 of lid 408 are bent downward to be received by appropriately dimensioned slots 406 in annular expansion 404 of bowl 402.

[0020] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention, in which lid 508 is seated within annular expansion 504 of bowl 502. Tabs 512 in lid 508 have been inserted down through slots 506 in bowl 502 and then bent upward around the lip of bowl 502. The tabs 512 inserted in this way and bent upward serve to retain lid 508 securely within annular expansion 504 of bowl 502, regardless of orientation of bowl 502.

[0021] In use, the open bowl is dimensioned and designed readily to receive food scraps and waste during food preparation. When the user wishes to store or dispose of the food waste, the user bends the tabs of the lid downward and inserts the tabs into the receiving slots in the annular expansion of the bowl, seating the lid into the annular expansion. The user may then bend the tabs up around the outside of the lip of the bowl, further securing the lid for storage and transport. This process may be reversed if the user desires to reopen the bowl.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment, one side of each tab on the lid may be coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive such as Robond™ 9260 from The Dow Chemical Company of Midland, Mich. In embodiments in which adhesive is on the bottom face of the tabs, after insertion in the slots in the annular expansion the tabs may simply be pressed against the side of the bowl to adhere to and securely hold the lid in place. In embodiments in which adhesive is on the top face of the tabs, when the inserted tabs are folded up, they adhere to the lip of the bowl, thereby securing the lid.

[0023] Because of their simple design, the bowl and the lid may be made of a wide range of materials, including in particular compostable materials and preferably biodegradable materials. An embodiment when made of biodegradable material, along with any food waste it contains, may be sealed and disposed of in an ecologically sound manner. The principal limitation for any material for the lid in particular is that it be sufficiently flexible to allow the tabs to fold and engage the slots in the bowl as described herein. Among suitable materials for fabrication are: paper and paper fiberboard; bagasse; biopolymers such as polylactides from corn, soy or potatoes; and bamboo.

[0024] Because it is planar in some embodiments, the lid for such embodiments may simply be cut from sheet material. Because the material is foldable, the concave bowl may be formed by folding and gluing an appropriate design cut from the same sheet material. Alternatively, the concave bowl (as well as the lid, if it is not planar) may be formed by compression molding of sheet or pulp material. In any case, though, if glue is used in construction of either the lid or the bowl of the invention, it is preferred that fabrication employ a biodegradable glue, such as a BioTAK® adhesive from BioTAK Sustainable Adhesive Products N.V. of Capelle aan den Ijssel, The Netherlands.

[0025] The material composing the lid and/or bowl may further be treated with a coating to provide an air-tight and moisture-proof barrier, thereby more securely to retain food scraps and waste. If a coating is employed, a biodegradable coating, such as bioMERCER® from Fraunhofer-Institut für Silicatforschung ISC of Würzburg, Germany, is preferred to assure full biodegradability and compostability.

[0026] The present invention contemplates any applicable methods of industrial fabrication, preferably using biodegradable materials. Persons of skill in the art will readily acknowledge other variations of elements that are still consonant with the teachings of the present invention. For example, while the depicted embodiments show a completely planar lid, other embodiments may instead employ a domed or vaulted lid, so long as it has the two foldable tabs characteristic of the invention engaging with the bowl as set forth above. By way of another example, while the cross-section of the bowl in the embodiments described herein is circular, other embodiments may comprise a convex bowl of another shape, such as one having a square or rectangular cross-section, with a lid of corresponding shape having two tabs that engage via receiving slots in an appropriate expansion section of the bowl.

[0027] While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it should be recognized that elements thereof may be altered by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth in this specification, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications and equivalents as can be reasonably included within the scope of the invention. The invention is limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.