TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a reusable food container. In particular, but not exclusively, it relates to a reusable food container having a detachable element.

Aspects of the invention relate to a reusable food container.

BACKGROUND

Food containers, such as food bags and boxes are commonly used to store and transport food from one location to another. The functionality of such food bags and boxes may be limited to storage and transportation of food, and in many cases once the food bag or box has been used to transport food, it is discarded, creating excess waste.

Some food containers are reusable. For instance, a child’s lunch box may be used to store and transport a child’s lunch to school, the lunch box being wiped clean between uses to maintain hygiene.

On removing food from such food bags and boxes, the food may be placed on another surface, which may not be hygienically clean.

It is an aim of the present invention to address at least some of the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a reusable food container, as claimed in the appended claims.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a container body comprising: at least a first side and a second side; and a first connector portion attached to the first side of the container body, the first connector portion being configured to couple to a second connector portion attached to a first side of a cover. According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a cover for releasably coupling to at least a first side of a container body, the cover comprising: a second connector portion for engagement with a first connector portion attached to a first side of the container body, to securely couple the cover to the container body.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a reusable food container comprising: a container body having at least a first side and a second side; a first connector portion attached to the first side of the container body; and a cover, releasably coupled to at least the first side of the container body, the cover comprising a second connector portion for engagement with the first connector portion to securely couple the cover to the container body.

An advantage of the invention is that a cover may be removably attached to the container body, such that each of the container body and the cover may be used separately and cleaned separately.

The first connector portion may be attached to an outer surface of the first side of the container body.

The second connector portion may be attached to a lower side of the cover, such that the lower side of the cover faces the outer surface of the first side of the container body when the first connector portion is engaged with the second connector portion.

The cover may comprise two layers of material, an upper layer forming an upper side of the cover and a lower layer forming the lower side of the cover.

The upper layer of the cover may comprise a material which has been surface treated with a liquid reactive material, wherein upon the application of liquid to the liquid reactive material, the liquid reactive material becomes at least semi-transparent.

An advantage of this feature is that the cover may be used by a user to draw or write upon.

The lower layer of the cover may comprise a waterproof material configured to prevent liquid from penetrating therethrough to the container body when the cover is coupled to the container body. An advantage of this feature is that the container body can be kept dry during and after application of a liquid, such as water to the cover, either when the cover is coupled to the container body during application of liquid to the cover and/or when the cover is coupled to the container body after the application of liquid to the cover.

The waterproof material may be directly applied to the upper layer of the cover.

The waterproof material may be a separate layer of thermoplastic polyurethane, which is attached to the upper layer of the cover by stitching, gluing, welding, or bonding, along, at least, one or more edges of the cover.

The first side of the container body may be configured to engage with the second side of the container body to provide a closure for the container body.

An advantage of this feature is that the container body can be used to securely store and transport food items within a volume defined by at least the first side and second side of the container body.

The first side of the container body may have a flap portion towards one edge of the first side of the container body. The flap portion may be configured to engage with the second side of the container body to form the closure for the container body.

The flap portion may comprise a first part of a fastener and the second side of the container body may comprise a second part of the fastener configured to engage with the first part of the fastener when the flap portion engages with the second side of the container body.

The second part of the fastener may be located on an outer surface of the second side of the container body.

An advantage of this feature is that it is straightforward for a child or a person with reduced mobility to be able to securely close the flap to enable food items to be securely stored and transported. The first side of the container body and the second side of the container body may be permanently connected at three edges with an opening at a fourth edge of the second side to define an aperture for insertion and removal of food from the container body, and wherein the flap portion may be configured to fold over the opening to engage with the second side of the container body, thereby closing the opening at the fourth edge of the second side of the container body.

The first side of the container body may have a first portion of a zip along one edge of the first side of the container body and the second side of the container body may have a second portion of a zip along one edge of the second side of the container body. The first portion of the zip may be configured to engage with the second portion of the zip to form the closure for the container body.

An advantage of this feature is that a secure closure of the container body may be made to protect food or other items held within the container body.

The first side of the container body and the second side of the container body may be permanently connected at three edges with a disconnect between a fourth edge of each of the first side and second side to define an aperture for insertion and removal of food from the container body. An engagement of the first portion of the zip with the second portion of the zip may close the aperture at the fourth edge of the first side and second side of the container body.

The reusable food container may comprise a loop of flexible material at one edge of the container body, the loop being configured to receive a pen.

An advantage of this feature is that a pen containing a liquid, such as water, can be safely stored with the reusable food container, such that the user may use the pen to write or draw on the surface that is surface treated or coated with a liquid reactive material.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a front view of a container body and a front view of a detached cover, according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a rear view of the container body shown in figure 1 and a rear view of the detached cover shown figure 1 , according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 illustrates a rear view of the container body shown in figures 1 and 2 with the cover attached, according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 illustrates a front view of the container body shown in figures 1 to 3 with a flap closed, according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 illustrates a multi-layer arrangement of materials according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of a container body and a rear view of a detached cover according to an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of the container body of figure 5 with a flap closed, and a front view of a detached cover according to an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, like parts are denoted by like reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples of the present disclosure relate to a reusable food container. In particular, examples of the present disclosure relate to a reusable food container having a detachable element such as a cover. Non-limiting examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The figures illustrate a reusable food container 10. The reusable food container 10 is intended for repeated use and comprises portions which may be washable and components which may not be washable.

Figure 1 is an illustration of a reusable food container 10 in the form of a reusable food bag. The reusable food container 10 comprises a receptacle for food in the form of a container body 12, which may be considered to be a pouch or bag. The reusable food container 10 comprises a cover 42. The container body comprises a first side 14 and a second side 16. The first side 14 may be considered to be the rear of the container body 12 and the second side 16 may be considered to be the front side of the container body 12. The first side 14 of the container body 12 and the second side 16 of the container body 12 are permanently connected at three edges 22, 24, 26, for example by stitching, welding, or bonding, with an opening at a fourth edge 28 of the second side 16 to define an aperture 30 for insertion of food into and removal of food from an internal void 31 of the container body 12.

One or more of the first side 14 and second side 16 of the container body 12 may comprise a multi-layer arrangement for example by being formed of a multiple ply material, where each ply may be formed of a different material.

The multi-layer arrangement of the first side 14 and/or the second side 16 of the container body 12 may comprise an outer layer and an inner layer, as illustrated in figure 5 for an arrangement where both the first side 14 and second side 16 comprise multi-layer arrangements, where the outer layer forms at least part of the outside of the container body 12 and the inner layer forms at least part of the inside of the container body 12 when the reusable food container 10 is in use to store or transport food. In figure 5, the first side 14 is formed of outer layer 70 and inner layer 72 and the second side 16 is formed of outer layer 80 and inner layer 82, with a void 31 between the first side 14 and the second side 16. The outer layers 70, 80 may, in some examples, be formed of a decorative material. The outer layers 70, 80 may be formed, for example, of a polyester, nylon, or cotton material which may be dyed, screen printed or sublimation printed, to provide a decorative colour or pattern.

The inner layers 72, 82 may be formed of a waterproof material. The inner layers 72, 82 may be formed of a separate layer of material, for example rubber or a thermoplastic material, such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which may be connected or attached to the outer layers 70, 80 by stitching, gluing, welding, or bonding, along the edges 22, 24, 26, 28, 34 of the first and second sides 14, 16 of the container body 12. The thermoplastic polyurethane layer may be a food grade material, which is non-toxic, has good resistance to both acids and bases, and has good wear resistance, meaning that it is able to hygienically store food over long periods without degradation of the material.

In alternative embodiments, the inner layers 72, 82 may be formed by applying a material directly to the inner surface of the outer layers 70, 80, for example by applying a rubberized coating to the inner surface of the outer layers 70, 80.

By providing a multi-layer arrangement for the first side 14 and second side 16 of the container body 12, the container body 12 may provide a decorative food container having a receptacle for food which provides increased food hygiene.

As illustrated in figure 4, the first side 14 of the container body 12 is configured to engage with the second side 16 of the container body 12 to provide a closure 36 for the container body 12 to, at least in part, seal the container body 12, or at least prevent food items or other items from falling out of the container body 12.

In order to provide a closure 36 for the container body 12, the first side 14 of the container body 12 may have a flap or flap portion 32 towards one edge, being a fourth edge 34 of the first side 14 of the container body 12. The flap portion 32 may be formed by an additional section of material projecting beyond the extent of the second side 16 of the container body 12 or by an oversized portion of the first side 14 of the container body 12 which extends beyond the extent of the second side 16 of the container body 12, allowing the flap portion 32 of the first side 14 to fold over and engage with the second side 16 of the container body 12 to form the closure 36 for the container body 12, thereby closing the aperture 30. In some embodiments, the flap portion 32 comprises a first part of a fastener 38 and the second side 16 of the container body 12 comprises a second part of the fastener 40 configured to engage with the first part of the fastener 38 when the flap portion 32 engages with the second side 16 of the container body 12. The second part of the fastener 40 is located on an outer surface 21 of the second side 16 of the container body 12.

In some embodiments, the first part of the fastener 38 is one of a hook arrangement or a loop arrangement of a hook and loop fastener and the second part of the fastener 40 is the other one of the hook arrangement or loop arrangement of the hook and loop fastener. By providing such fastening means comprising the first part of the fastener 38 and the second part of the fastener 40, the flap portion 32 can be securely coupled to the second side 16 of the container body 12.

Although embodiments have been described where the fastener, for fastening the first side 14 of the container body 12 to the second side 16 of the container body 12, comprises a first part of the fastener 38 and a second part of a fastener 40 in the form of the two portions of a hook and loop fastener, other types of fastener can be envisaged for the first part of the fastener 38 and the second part of the fastener 40. Such alternative fasteners may include zips, press studs, and magnets, each of which can be arranged to have one component attached to the first side 14 of the container body 12 and one component attached to the second side 16 of the container body 12, the two parts of the fastener being configured engage the first side 14 of the container body 12 with the second side 16 of the container body 12 to provide the closure 36 for the container body 12 to, at least in part, seal the container body 12.

For example, in another embodiment the first side 14 of the container body 12 has a first part of a fastener 38 in the form of a first portion of a zip along one edge of the first side 14 of the container body 12 and the second side 16 of the container body 12 has a second part of a fastener 40 in the form of a second portion of a zip along one edge of the second side 16 of the container body 12, the first portion of the zip 38 being configured to engage with the second portion of the zip 40 to form the closure for the container body 12. In such an embodiment, there is no requirement for a flap portion 32, and the first side 14 of the container body 12 and the second side 16 of the container body 12 can be of the same size.

The first side 14 of the container body 12 and the second side 16 of the container body 12 may be permanently connected at three edges 22, 24, 26 with a disconnect between a fourth edge of each of the first side 14 and second side 16 to define an aperture 30 for insertion and removal of food from the container body 12. An engagement of the first portion of the zip 38 with the second portion of the zip 40 may close the aperture 30 at the fourth edge of the first side 14 and second side 16 of the container body 12.

As illustrated in Figure 2, attached to the first side 14 of the container body 12 is a first attachment means in the form of a first connector portion 18. The first connector portion 18 is attached to an outer surface 20 of the first side 14 of the container body 12 and may be attached by any suitable means, such as by stitching, gluing, welding, bonding, or a combination thereof. By outer surface 20, it is meant a surface which would not contact food items or other items when such items are placed within the container body 12 for storage or transportation.

Figure 2 also illustrates one side of a cover 42, that side being a rear side or a lower side 44 of the cover 42. The cover 42 is configured to be releasably or removably coupled to at least the first side 14 of the container body 12.

The cover 42 comprises a second attachment means in the form of a second connector portion 46. The second connector portion 46 is configured to be engaged with the first connector portion 18 to securely couple the cover 42 to the container body 12. The second connector portion 46 is attached to a lower side 44 of the cover 42 and may be attached by any suitable means, such as by stitching, gluing, welding, bonding, or a combination thereof. When the second connector portion 46 is engaged with the first connector portion 18 the lower side 44 of the cover 42 faces the outer surface 20 of the first side 14 of the container body 12.

In some embodiments, the first connector portion 18 may be one of a hook arrangement or a loop arrangement of a hook and loop fastener and the second connector portion 46 may be the other one of the hook arrangement or loop arrangement of the hook and loop fastener. For example, in some embodiments, the first connector portion 18 is a hook arrangement, and the second connector portion 46 is a loop arrangement. The hook arrangement and the loop arrangement when brought into contact provide a secure coupling or connection between hooks of the hook arrangement and loops of the loop arrangement.

In some embodiments the first connector portion 18 is a strip of one of a hook arrangement or a loop arrangement and the second connector portion 46 is a strip of the other one of a hook arrangement or a loop arrangement. The strip of hooks or hook arrangement 18 and the strip of loops or loop arrangement 46 may be of the same size such that they are intended to fully overlay each other to provide the most secure coupling. Alternatively, the strip of the loop arrangement 46 may be larger than the strip of the hook arrangement 18 to facilitate ease of coupling of the cover 42 to the container body 12, especially when used by a child or a person with reduced mobility, as less accuracy is required to couple the two arrangements 18, 46 together. Having a smaller length of strip of the hook arrangement 18 may also reduce the possibility of rucking of the cover 42 when coupled to the strip of loop arrangement 46.

In other embodiments there may be more than one strip of hooks or hook arrangement with a corresponding number of strips of loops or loop arrangement. For example, in one embodiment, there may be two strips 18 of hook arrangement on the outer surface 20 of the first side 14 of the container body 12 and two strips 46 of loop arrangement on the lower side 44 of the cover 42, facilitating a more secure coupling of the cover 42 to the container body 12. The strip of loop arrangement 46 may be located centrally on the lower side 44 of the cover 42, or may be located towards a first edge 48 of the lower side 44 of the cover 42, as illustrated in figure 2. The corresponding strip of hook arrangement 18 may be located at a position on the outer surface 20 of the first side 14 of the container body 12 such that when coupled, the cover 42 does not overlap the edges 22, 24, 26 of the first side 14 of the container body 12.

In one embodiment a first strip of loop arrangement 46 may be located towards a first edge 48 of the lower side 44 of the cover 42 and a second optional strip of loop arrangement 50, illustrated by a dashed box, may be located towards a second edge 52, different to the first edge 48, of the lower side 44 of the cover 42, whilst there may be one strip of hook arrangement 18 on the outer surface 20 of the first side 14 of the container body 12, such that the cover 42 may be positioned with either of the two strips of loop arrangement 46, 50 to engage with the strip of hook arrangement 18 on the outer surface 20 of the first side 14 of the container body 12, thereby providing extended longevity of the cover 42 since there are two strips of loop arrangement 46, 50 that can be used to couple to the strip of hook arrangement 18 until they no longer sufficiently couple to the strip of hook arrangement 18. Further, the use of two strips of loop arrangement 46, 50 may also provide for increased ease of use of the reusable food container 10 for a child or person with reduced coordination or mobility. Although embodiments have been described where the attachment means comprises a first connector portion 18 and a second connector portion 46 in the form of the two portions of a hook and loop fastener, other types of attachment means can be envisaged for the first connector portion 18 and the second connector portion 46. Such alternative attachment means may include zips, press studs, and magnets, each of which can be arranged to have one component attached to the container body 12 and a corresponding component attached to the cover 42, the two components being configured to couple the cover 42 to the container body 12.

In some embodiments the cover 42 comprises two layers of material, an upper layer 54, illustrated in figure 1 , forming an upper side 54 of the cover 42 and a lower layer 44, illustrated in figure 2, forming the lower side 44 of the cover 42. The upper layer 54 of the cover 42 comprises a material which has been coated or surface treated with a liquid reactive material. The coating or surface treatment of the material of the upper layer 54 reacts to the application of a fluid, in particular the application of water, such that the liquid reactive material becomes at least semi-transparent.

The lower layer 44 of the cover 42 comprises a waterproof material configured to prevent water from penetrating therethrough to the container body 12 when the cover 42 is coupled to the container body 12, as shown in figure 3. Since the upper layer 54 of the cover 42 is intended to have a liquid, such as water, applied thereto, the application of the waterproof layer at the lower side 44 of the cover 42 prevents the container body 12 from becoming wet during use.

In some embodiments, the waterproof material is directly applied to the upper layer 54 of the cover 42. In other embodiments the waterproof material is a separate layer of material, such as thermoplastic polyurethane, which is attached to the upper layer 54 of the cover 42 by stitching, gluing, welding, or bonding, along, at least, one or more edges 60, 62, 64, 66 of the cover 42.

The waterproof material may be formed of food grade thermoplastic polyurethane material, which is non-toxic, has good resistance to both acids and bases, and has good wear resistance, meaning that it is also able to be hygienically used as a place mat for placing food upon without degradation of the material. This is particularly useful for children who may require food to be taken from the container body 12 and placed on a mat in front of them at a meal time. The waterproof material is also easy to wipe clean, which is particularly beneficial when the upper layer 54 of the cover 42 comprises a material which has been coated or surface treated with a liquid reactive material, since the material which has been coated or surface treated with a liquid reactive material should not be immersed in water for a prolonged period of time and therefore cannot be washed, for example in a washing machine.

Thus, when the removable cover 42 has an upper layer 54 comprising a material which has been coated or surface treated with a liquid reactive material, the ability to detach the cover 42 from the container body 12 allows the container body 21 to be washed in a washing machine whilst the cover 42 may be simply wiped clean or left to dry such that the liquid reactive material returns to an opaque state.

Whilst the embodiments described above define that the cover 42 comprises two layers of material, an upper layer 54, illustrated in figure 1 , forming an upper side 54 of the cover 42 and a lower layer 44, illustrated in figure 2, forming the lower side 44 of the cover 42, in other embodiments the cover 42 may be comprised of a single layer of material which is coated or surface treated with a liquid reactive material, such that the upper layer 54 may be considered to be the liquid reactive material. In yet further embodiments the cover 42 may be a laminate material which is coated, or surface treated, with a liquid reactive material. For example, a polyurethane laminate (PUL) may be used, which is a compound fabric formed of a cloth fabric laminated with a layer or film of polyurethane. A liquid reactive material can be applied to the polyurethane laminate, in particular on the cloth fabric side, which may be considered to be the upper layer 54. The polyurethane laminate is waterproof by the presence of the polyurethane layer or film, and is food safe. The polyurethane layer or film may be considered to be the lower layer 44. Use of a single layer or laminate material for the cover 42 may reduce manufacturing steps and therefore cost and time to manufacture the cover 42.

In some embodiments, it may also be beneficial, when using a hook and loop fastener for the first connector portion 18 and the second connector portion 46 to connect or couple the cover 42 to the container body 12, to have the loop arrangement on the cover 42, as this is easier to wipe clean than the hook arrangement, whilst the hook arrangement can be readily washed in a washing machine, especially if the hook arrangement is arranged to be inside the container body 12 during the washing process. In order to facilitate washing of the container body 12, for example in a washing machine, or by other liquid immersion means, the container body 12 may be invertible such that the inside surfaces of the first side 14 of the container body 12 and second side 16 of the container body 12 are rearranged as the outside surfaces of the container body 12 and the outside surfaces of the container body 12 are rearranged as the inside surfaces of the container body 12. By inverting the container body 12 in this way, the first connector portion 18, such as a hook arrangement of a hook and loop fastener, can be arranged to be on the inside of the container body 12 to facilitate washing of the container body 12, and/or to avoid damage to either the hook arrangement or clothing or other items that may be washed with the container body 12.

In some embodiments, such at that illustrated in figure 4, the reusable food container 10 may comprise a loop 90 of flexible material at one edge 26 of the container body 12, the loop 90 being configured to receive a pen 92. The pen 92 may be a liquid fillable pen 92 for use with the upper layer 54 of the cover 42 when the upper layer 54 of the cover 42 comprises a material which has been coated or surface treated with a liquid reactive material. The pen 92 may be filled with water and the liquid reactive material may react with the water to become transparent such that an underlying surface can be at least partially exposed. The reusable food container 10 may comprise the liquid fillable pen 92. The loop 90 may also function as a name label or identifier.

In some embodiments, as shown in figure 4, the reusable food container 10 may comprise a handle 94 such that a user may more easily and more securely hold the reusable food container 10. The handle 94 may comprise a loop of material securely connected to an edge 22 of the container body 12. Whilst figure 4 illustrates that handle 94 and the loop 90 are on opposite sides of the container body 12, there is no restriction on which edge of the container body 12 such components may be positioned, as illustrated in figures 6 and 7.

Although embodiments have been described which comprise a first side 14 and a second side 16 with a void 31 therebetween as a container body 12, in alternative embodiments, the form of the container body 12 may be different. For example, as shown in figures 6 and 7 the container body 112 may be in the form of a box, for example a lunch box, comprising five fixed sides 16, 102, 104, 106, 108 and a sixth, hinged, side 110, which may provide a lid or flap portion 32. The fixed side 104 which is connected to the hinged side 110 and the hinged side 110 together may comprise a first side 14, that is be considered to be a single side of the container body 112. The container body 112 therefore has a first side 14 and a second side 16, which are arranged to engage with each other to close an aperture 30. The flap portion 32 may comprise a first part of a fastener 38 and the second side 16 of the container body 112 comprises a second part of the fastener 40 configured to engage with the first part of the fastener 38 when the flap portion 32 engages with the second side 16 of the container body 112. Such fasteners could be the hook and loop fasteners as described in relation to the embodiments of figures 1 to 4, or could be any other fastener such as zips, press studs, and magnets, each of which can be arranged to have one component attached to the first side 14 of the container body 112 and one component attached to the second side 16 of the container body 112, the two parts of the fastener being configured engage the first side 14 of the container body 112 with the second side 16 of the container body 12 to, at least in part, seal the container body 112.

As illustrated in Figure 7, attached to the first side 14 of the container body 112 is a first attachment means in the form of a first connector portion 18. The first connector portion 18 is attached to an outer surface 20 of the first side 14 of the container body 112 and may be attached by any suitable means, such as by stitching, gluing, welding, bonding, or a combination thereof. By outer surface 20, it is meant a surface which would not contact food items or other items when such items are placed within the container body 112 for storage or transportation.

Figure 6 also illustrates one side of a cover 42, that side being a rear side or a lower side 44 of the cover 42. The cover 42 is configured to be releasably or removably coupled to at least the first side 14 of the container body 112. The cover 42 comprises a second attachment means in the form of a second connector portion 46. The second connector portion 46 is configured to be engaged with the first connector portion 18 to securely couple the cover 42 to the container body 112. The second connector portion 46 is attached to a lower side 44 of the cover 42 and may be attached by any suitable means, such as by stitching, gluing, welding, bonding, or a combination thereof. When the second connector portion 46 is engaged with the first connector portion 18 the lower side 44 of the cover 42 faces the outer surface 20 of the first side 14 of the container body 112.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described.

Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not.

Although features have been described with reference to certain embodiments, those features may also be present in other embodiments whether described or not. Whilst endeavoring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.