Spread container

Abstract

A spread container (2) includes a housing (6) configured to contain a spreadable material (4), a knife member (8) attached to or integrated into the housing (6), where the knife member (8) is configured to spread the spreadable material (4). The spread container (2) has a sealed opening (10) sealed by a seal (12), which opening (10) is configured to be opened by squeezing or pressing at least a portion of the housing (6) in such a manner that the spreadable material (4) can be dispensed through the opening (10). The opening (10) is arranged in such a way that the spreadable material (4) is dispensed onto the knife member (8) and flows in a direction towards the distal end (14) of the knife member (8).

Claims

1. A spread container comprising: a housing configured to contain a spreadable material; a knife member attached to or integrated into the housing, the knife member having a proximal end and a distal end, a distance from the proximal end to the housing being shorter than a distance from the distal end to the housing, and wherein the knife member is configured to spread the spreadable material; and a lid having an opening and a seal covering and sealing said opening, the opening being configured to be opened by squeezing or pressing at least a portion of the housing in such a manner so that said spreadable material, when contained in said housing, is dispensed through the opening, and wherein the lid opening is arranged so that, when contained in said housing, the spreadable material is dispensed onto the knife member proximal end and flows in a direction towards the knife member distal end; wherein the housing comprises a bowl-shaped portion and said lid includes a plate-shaped lid member covering the bowl-shaped portion.

2. A spread container according to claim 1, wherein the knife member is configured to cut or slice a piece of bread.

3. A spread container according to claim 1, wherein the knife member comprises saw teeth.

4. A spread container according to claim 1, wherein the bowl-shaped housing portion comprises a protruding edge extending along a periphery of the bowl-shaped housing portion and the seal is arranged within said periphery of the bowl-shaped housing portion.

5. A spread container according claim 4, wherein the seal borders on the knife member.

6. A spread container according claim 1, wherein the knife member comprises: first and second knife member portions attached together; and a space between the first and second knife member portions.

7. A spread container according to claim 6, wherein: the first knife member portion and the lid are a one-piece body; and the second knife member portion and the housing are a one-piece body.

8. A spread container comprising: a housing configured to contain a spreadable material; a knife member attached to or integrated into the housing, the knife member having a proximal end and a distal end, a distance from the proximal end to the housing being shorter than a distance from the distal end to the housing, and wherein the knife member is configured to spread the spreadable material; and a lid having an opening and a seal covering and sealing said opening, the opening being configured to be opened by squeezing or pressing at least a portion of the housing in such a manner so that said spreadable material, when contained in said housing, is dispensed through the opening, and wherein the lid opening is arranged so that, when contained in said housing, the spreadable material is dispensed onto the knife member proximal end and flows in a direction towards the knife member distal end; wherein the seal is attached to or integrated into the lid so that the seal is configured to be partly detached from the lid and be rotatably mounted to the lid so that the spreadable material has access to the knife member while the seal is hinged to the lid.

9. A spread container according to claim 1, further comprising a wrapping around the spread container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below. The accompanying drawings are given by way of illustration only, and thus, they are not limitative of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

(2) FIGS. 1A-C show different views of an exemplary spread container according to principles the present invention;

(3) FIGS. 2A-E show different views of another spread container according to principles of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a close-up perspective view of a spread container according to principles of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a wrapped spread container according to principles of the present invention and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a knife member of a spread container according to principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(7) Referring now in detail to the drawings for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention, a spread container 2 is illustrated in FIG. 1.

(8) FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a spread container 2 according to principles of the present invention. The spread container 2 includes a housing 6 configured to contain a spreadable material 4 (see FIG. 1C) such as butter, honey, jam, cream cheese, paste or other spreadable materials.

(9) The spread container 2 further includes a knife member 8 having a first knife member portion 8 and a second knife member portion 8.

(10) The spread container 2 also includes a basically plate-shaped lid member 16 configured to seal the opening 38 in the housing 6. A seal 12 is provided in the lid member 16. The seal 12 is sealing an opening 10 (see FIG. 1C) in the lid member 16. The seal 12 is configured to be hinged at an arced hinge member 18.

(11) The spread container 2 is shown in an open state, in which it is possible to fill it up with a spreadable material. However, the two halves of the spread container 2 need to be joined (e.g., by a welding process, such as ultrasonic welding, by way of example).

(12) FIG. 1B illustrates a top view of the spread container 2 shown in FIG. 1A. The two halves of the spread container 2 have been joined and it can be seen that the spread container 2 includes a knife member 8 having a pointed distal end 14. The spread container 2 includes a lid member 16 that is provided with an opening 10 (see FIG. 1C) that is covered and sealed by a seal 12. The hinge member 18 is also visible in FIG. 1B and it can be seen that the hinge member 18 is convex relative to the distal end 14 of the knife member 8.

(13) FIG. 1C illustrates another top view of the spread container 2 shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. The opening 10 has been opened by squeezing or pressing a portion of the housing 6 in such a manner that the seal 12 has been partly detached from the lid member 16 so that the spreadable material 4 have been dispensed through the opening 10. It can be seen that the seal 12 is mechanically attached to the lid member 16 by the arced hinge member 18.

(14) Moreover, it can be seen that the spreadable material 4 is being dispensed onto the knife member 8 and flows in a direction towards the distal end 14 of the knife member 8. It is essential that the seal 12 is detached in a manner so that the seal 12 does not complicate or impede the spreadable material 4 from being dispensed through the opening 10.

(15) FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of another open spread container 2 embodying principles of the present invention. The only difference when compared to the spread container 2 shown in FIGS. 1A-C is that the spread container 2 includes saw toothed edge provided with a plurality of saw teeth 20. These saw teeth 20 makes the spread container 2 configured to cut and/or slice a piece of bread or a bread roll. It is important that the knife member 8 is stiff enough to cut and/or slice a piece of bread.

(16) FIG. 2B illustrates a top view of the spread container 2. It can be seen that the opening 10 is sealed completely by the seal 12. Accordingly, the opening 10 is not visible.

(17) In FIG. 2C, however, the seal 12 is partly detached from the lid member 16. Therefore, it is possible for the spreadable material 4 within the housing 6 of the spread container 2 to be dispensed through the opening 10 in the lid member 16.

(18) FIG. 2D illustrates a side view of a spread container 2 embodying principles of the present invention. The spread container 2 includes a knife member 8 that extends as a continuation of the lid member 16. In fact the longitudinal axis X of the knife member 8 corresponds to the longitudinal axis Y of the lid member 16.

(19) In FIG. 2D spreadable material 4 contained by the housing 6 of the spread container 2 has been dispensed through the opening 10 in the lid member 16 on to the knife member 8. Accordingly, the spread container 2 is ready to be used to spread the spreadable material 4 to, e.g., a piece of bread.

(20) It can be seen that the seal 12 is hinged to the lid member 16 and that the spreadable material 4 has access to the knife member 8 through the opening 10. Accordingly, by pressing or squeezing the housing 6 of the spread container 2, the spreadable material 4 can be further dispensed through the opening 10 in the lid member 16.

(21) FIG. 2E illustrates a perspective top view of the spread container 2 shown in FIG. 2D before the seal 12 has been (partly) detached from the lid member 16.

(22) FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a spread container 2 according to principles of the present invention.

(23) The spread container 2 includes a basically bowl-shaped housing 6. The basically bowl-shaped housing 6 is provided with a protruding edge 26 extending along the periphery of the housing 6. The spread container 2 includes a basically plate-shaped lid member 16 that is provided with a protruding edge 28 extending along the periphery of the lid member 16. The protruding edge 28 corresponds to the protruding edge 26.

(24) The protruding edges 26, 28 are configured to be joined by a welding process (e.g., by using ultrasonic welding).

(25) The spread container 2 includes a knife member 8 having a first knife member portion 8 attached to a corresponding second knife member portion 8. The first knife member portion 8 is configured to be joined to the second knife member portion 8, e.g., by a welding process. An area 30 is configured to constitute an air filled space 30 when the first knife member portion 8 and the second knife member portion 8 are joined.

(26) Accordingly, an air filled space 30 will be provided between the first knife member portion 8 and the second knife member portion 8 that is provided with saw teeth 20. Hereby, less material is needed to manufacture the knife member 8 and thus the spread container 2.

(27) Accordingly, the production cost can be reduced. It is important to note that the first knife member portion 8 is provided with a protruding edge 22 corresponding to a protruding edge 24 of the second knife member portion 8. These protruding edges 22, 24 are configured to be joined when the two halves of the spread container 2 are joined.

(28) FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a wrapped spread container 2 according to principles of the present invention. The spread container 2 includes a housing 6 sealed with a plate-shaped lid member 16 that is provided with an opening that is sealed and covered with a seal 12. The spread container 2 moreover includes a knife member 8 extending along the longitudinal axis of the lid member 16. The spread container 2 is wrapped with a wrapping 36 that ensures that the spread container 2 is clean and kept clean until the wrapping 36 is broken in order to use the spread container 2. The wrapping 36 may be any suitable type of wrapping.

(29) FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a knife member 8 of a spread container embodying principles of the present invention. The knife member 8 includes a first knife member portion 8 and a second knife member portion 8 that are joined by a first joint 32 and a second joint 34. The joints 32, 34 join the protruding edge 22 of the first knife member portion 8 and the protruding edges 24 of the second knife member portion 8.

(30) An air filled space 30 is provided between the first knife member portion 8 and the second knife member portion 8. In order to make the knife member 8 more stiff and in order to reduce the quantity of material.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(31) 2Spread container

(32) 4Spreadable material

(33) 6Housing

(34) 8Knife member

(35) 8First knife member portion

(36) 8Second knife member portion

(37) 10Opening

(38) 12Seal

(39) 14Distal end

(40) 16Lid member

(41) 18Hinge member

(42) 20Saw tooth

(43) 22Protruding edge

(44) 24Protruding edge

(45) 26Protruding edge

(46) 28Protruding edge

(47) 30Area

(48) 32Joint

(49) 34Joint

(50) 36Wrapping

(51) 38Opening

(52) XLongitudinal axis

(53) YLongitudinal axis

(54) While the invention has been described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes can be made, and equivalents employed, without departing from the scope of the invention. The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, and their equivalents. The entirety of each of the aforementioned documents is incorporated by reference herein.