Background

Non-recycle storage containers for food products are known. Examples of such containers are so- called "klammisar" wherein a user for instance a child by pressing on a bag with food product having an outlet for discharging the food product receives the food product. However, this produces large amounts of garbage.

Re-sealable containers for storing food product, in particular storage containers for storing a portion of food product and discharges the food product by means of a user pressing on a part of the container are previously known. Examples of such containers are so-called zip-lock bags, zip-lock bags having an outlet pipe, as well as other storage containers for storing food product.

It is previously known that softened plastics are not suitable for storing food products over a long period of time since the leak poisonous substances. Therefore storage containers of softened plastics are not suitable for storing food products. Nevertheless, soft plastic bags and other storage containers are used to a large extent.

Summary of the invention

The present invention is related to a re-sealable container for storing food products, in particular to a re-sealable storage container for storing a portion of a food product and discharges the food product by means of an outlet part of the storage container by means of a user, for instance a child pressing on part of the container and/or sucks on the outlet part and thereby receives the food product.

There is a problem with additives and sugar in industrially produced food for children and in

"klammisar" and a trend is that more and more parents produces their own food for the children.

Therefore, there is a demand of an easy-to-fill, easy-to wash, re-sealable, re-fill product that can be filled on a daily basis instead of the food product being exposed for weeks to a softened bag in a store.

According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a re-sealable storage container for food products, in which an outlet part of the container is arranged for discharging the food product by means of a user, for instance a child pressing on the container and thereby receiving the food product. The storage container comprises a lower part essentially embodied as a plate, typically essentially a non-flexible bottom part, an to the lower part an adapted upper part, typically a lid part of flexible material, which lower and upper parts are detachably mounted to each other and together form a re- sealable storage container having a particular volume, in which lower part an outlet part is arranged essentially with an angle to a theoretical axis going through the lower part and the upper part. In its inverted position, the upper part forms and seals against the lower part ^' s inside and thereby essentially eliminates the volume which thereby presses the food product out towards the outlet part. Typically, it is the upper part that presses the food product against the outlet part.

The geometry/thickness of the flexible part is varied such that its side or part distant from the outlet part collapses before the other side at the outlet part wherein an improved discharge of the content is achieved. This is provided by means of the varying thickness of material, progressively collapsing the flexible part from the center out towards the outlet part. Typically, the upper part has varying thickness.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, preferably the outlet is arranged such that closing of the outlet or its opening is avoided.

Brief description of drawings

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. la illustrates a principal embodiment of the invention in relation to a prior art so-called zip-lock bag FIG. lb (PRIO ART), FIG. 1 c and d (PRIO ART) illustrate corresponding to FIG. l a and lb (PRIOR ART) but in a view from above, FIG. 2a illustrates an embodiment of the invention, wherein the lower part, the bottom part, is embodied as a plate and essentially is non- flexible and the upper part, the lid part is flexible,

FIG. 2b illustrates a detail drawing of the upper lid part in FIG. 2a, wherein the lid part has varying thickness,

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment wherein both the lower part and the upper part are flexible,

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the in FIG. 3 illustrated embodiment,

FIG. 5 illustrates a detail figure of a locking-ring, and

FIG. 6 illustrates how a user can use the storage container. Detailed description of embodiments

Now is referred to FIG. 1 illustrating a principal embodiment of the invention in relation to a prior art so called zip-lock bag, zip-lock bag having an outlet pipe.

By dividing the storage container 10 in the "wrong direction", i. e. having an essential different angle, for instance essentially 45-90°, in particular essentially 90 ⁰ from the outlet part and in the widest part there is provided an improved filling of food product as is illustrated in FIG. l a in relation to a prior art product for instance a re-fill zip-lock bag as illustrated FIG. lb (PRIOR ART). The double-headed arrows in FIG. l a and FIG. l b schematically illustrate dividing the container in the wrong direction according to the invention. FIG. 1 c and d illustrate corresponding to FIG. l a and lb but in a view from above. In that way the area/surface area to fill food product as well as the cleaning area, cleaning surface area increases significantly.

A significant difference is that the zip-lock bags must be held by one or even two hands to be filled, alternatively be filled by means any one of the many products that are provided for easier filling of zip- lock bags.

Because the storage container is dividable on its widest part and easy to use, hygienic to wash, it is both more healthy and convenient to the user such as a child for instance. It also eliminates the need of using one way containers. Typically, it is machine washable. The bottom can typically be used as a conventional eating plate. Because the container for food products according to several embodiments of the invention is embodied as two"plate-like" halves, a lower bottom part and an upper lid part altogether forming a storage container of two halves that are detachable from each other, i. e. the container can be separated into two halves that are detachable from each other there is compared to prior art containers provided a container that is easy to wash. That is due especially to a preferred embodiment without any rims, or edges folded inwardly having negative release angle wherein food residues can be trapped and therefore easy to wash, both manually and in washing machine, since there are no rims, or inwardly folded edges wherein dish water does not reach or a brush does not reach.

This makes the container according to the invention suitable in particular for storing food products since there are no bacteria spots left. Due to the lack of inwardly folded edges it is also easy for a user to see if the cleaning is satisfactory. Now is referred to FIG. 2a illustrating an embodiment of the invention, wherein the lower part is embodied as a plate and essentially non-flexible.

FIG. 2a illustrates a re-sealable storage container 10 for storing food products L. In the container 10, there is arranged an outlet part 16 for discharging the food product L from a volume V the storage container by means of a user (not shown in this figure), for instance a child pressing on a part of the storage container and/or sucking on the outlet part 10 and in that way receives the food product L. The container 10 comprises a lower part 12 essentially embodied as a plate, a to the lower part adapted upper part 14 of flexible material. The upper and lower parts 12, 14 are detachably mounted to each other by means of fastening means 17 and altogether the parts 12, 14 form a re-sealable storing container 10. The outlet part 16 is arranged to the lower part 12 with a considerable angle, for instance 45-90 °, in particular with a right angle to a theoretical axis A going through the lower part 12 and the upper part 14. FIG. 2a illustrates a storage container in a position having the different parts 12 andl4 detached from each other. The outlet part 16 can for instance be embodied as outlet pipe. The outlet part 16 according to various embodiments is provided with an opening that is not shown. The upper lid-part 14 comprises in a natural position, i. e. before a user influences the upper part ^' s shape by sucking or pressing (Se dashed line in FIG. 2a showing the upper part ^' s position when a user influences it ^' s shape by sucking or pressing), a volume V of food product under the same, but in its inverted position, i. e. when a user presses the upper part 14 essentially totally eliminates the volume V between the upper part 14 and the lower part 12. This is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2a wherein it is evident that the food product L is not influenced FIG. 2b wherein the food product is pressed downwards by means of the upper part 14 being pressed down.

According to another alternative embodiment not shown, the lower part 12 and the upper part 14 mutually may switch their respective functionality with each other, i. e. such that the lower part 12 is flexible and the upper part 14 is essentially non- flexible. The upper part 14 and the lower part 12, the latter essentially being embodied as a plate, are attached to each other by means of fastening means 17. The fastening means 17 can for instance be windings, bayonet type, locking ring, U-plate or of similar type. The fastening means 17 are typically embodied as one or more hard part that can be injection-molded, chemically bounded or mechanically to the storage container ^' s 10 upper 14 or lower 12 part or parts. The outlet part 16 is typically provided to a ground channel (not shown) to avoid that the cover does not seal tightly. Now is referred to FIG. 2b illustrating a detail view of the upper part in FIG. 2a, wherein the upper part 14 has varying thickness t. By means of varying material thickness, the upper part 14 can be adapted to "collapse" from the "right side" and presses the food product L towards the outlet part 16 (see FIG. 2a), and is adapted to hinder the upper part from sucking tight close to the outlet part (for instance a pipe) from deforming/collapsing/be inverted in a controlled way starting as far away as possible from the beginning of the pipe and successively presses the food product towards the outlet part 16. (and minimizes) the risk that the upper part 14 sucks too tight close to the outlet part (the outlet pipe) before the volume is totally discharged.

According to an embodiment, the upper part 14 can be embodied in one piece if the thickness t is adapted such that it is stiff enough in a part 14 Of the upper part 14 wherein fastening means 17 is/are arranged but flexible enough in the rest of the upper part 14.

The thickness/geometry of the upper part 14 can be varied in such a watt hat its side or part most distant from the outlet part collapses before the other side of the outlet part wherein an improved discharging of the content is achieved. This is provided by means of the variable thickness t progressively collapsing (see dashed line showing how the flexible part collapses) the flexible part from the center out towards the outlet part. Typically, the upper part 14 having varying thickness t is thickest at the outlet part 16 and smallest at the center.

One of the halves 12, 14, typically the upper part 14 collapses either by suction-generated under- pressure in a cavity 10 ' of the storage container 10, or by means of pressure-generated pressure on the outside of the cavity 10 ^' (See also FIG. 6) and thereby decreases a volume of the cavity in the end opposite the outlet part 16to progressively successively decrease the volume closer and closer to the outlet part 16 and thereby force the food product L towards the outlet part 16. When the elastic upper part goes over into the outlet part the cavity 10 ^' is empty or essentially empty of food product. This is a great advantage compared to other prior art containers, typically a plastic bag in which the food product is inside before the food product has been discharged from the container.

According to different embodiments, the outlet part 16 is placed such that one avoids that the flexible part blocks the outlet part or its opening. This can be achieved for instance by the outlet part 16 being arranged in the essentially non-flexible part, typically the lower part.

Now is referred to FIG. 3 illustrating an alternative embodiment, wherein both the lower part 12 and the upper part 14 are flexible. Two distant details 17a, 17b can be hard. The fastening means 17 such as windings, or bayonet fittings can be provided with an outer locking ring pressing together the upper part against the lower part 12.

It is possible to adapt the flexibility of the material with the number of windings in the

winding/bayonet such that a built-in pipe in one of the rings is in line with a hole by means of the windings in the other ring.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 but having a third distant detail 19 wherein the detail 19 contains a pipe outlet 16 and corresponding winding bayonet for two outside locking rings.

FIG. 5 illustrates a detail view of an embodiment of locking ring, and

FIG. 6 illustrates how a user can use the storage container.