GB2479387A - Date Reminder Comprising Two Rotating Discs - Google Patents

Abstract

A perishable food date reminder that has a cut out or transparent window 1 to display to the consumer the desired date by means of rotating two discs 2, 3 that are contained within the unit 4. One disc may show months of the year, the other showing days in the month, the user manually rotating the discs to show the date on which the container was first opened, or by which the food should be consumed. A central hole 6 may allow for pop up safety buttons common to jars. The unit may be made of plastic and may be retrofitted to a container by magnetic or adhesive means. The unit may be integral with ajar lid, the discs being locked in place when the lid is first opened.

Description

PERISHABLE FOOD DATE REMINDER

This invention relates to a device that enables consumers to be informed of a foods consume by' date once it has been opened.

The majority of perishable foods contained within jars have a printed consume by' date on the label. This date refers to the time elapsed between the jar being first opened and the date the food will perish. The problem that many consumers face is that they will often forget the date the jar was first opened and therefore will be unsure of the date that the food will perish.

The Perishable Food Date Reminder solves this problem by informing the consumer of the date the jar was initially opened and/or the date that the food must be consumed by. The invention consists of 2 independent discs, one containing the months of the year and the other the days in the month. These discs can be rotated manually by means of cut-outs to indicate the desired date within the cut-out/transparent window.

The Perishable Food Date Reminder is attached to the top of the container by either a magnetic or adhesive disk. Alternatively the design can be incorporated into a manufactured jar lid.

Examples of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a retro-fit example of the Perishable Food Date Reminder.

This would be attached to a food container by means of a magnetic or adhesive element on the underside of the device.

Figure 2 shows a custom fit jar lid that incorporates the Perishable Food Date Reminder.

In figure 1 there is a cut out/transparent window I that shows the desired date. This date is selected by manually rotating the days of the month 2 in the cut out window and the months of the year 3 in the cut out window.

The rotating discs are contained within a plastic case 4 that keeps the unit together. There is a hole in the middle of the device 5 that allows for pop up' safety buttons commonly found on jars containing perishable foods.

Figure 2 shows the alternative example of the Perishable Food Date Reminder. As with figure 1 there is a cut out/transparent window 1 that shows the desired date. This date is selected by manually rotating the days of the month 2 in the cut out window and the months of the year 3 in the cut out window. The rotating discs are held within the custom fit jar lid 4.

The main advantages of the Perishable Food Date Reminder relate to the fact the consumer is able to keep themselves informed as to when the food is likely to perish.

Knowing when food will go beyond its consume by' date increases confidence in knowing the food is fresh. This knowledge significantly reduces the risk of eating food that may have deteriorated and therefore reduces the possibility of contracting food poisoning. This can be especially important for commercial food outlets.

Use of the Perishable Food Date Reminder reduces clutter in food storage areas by informing the consumer when food should be disposed of.

Potentially the Perishable Food Date Reminder cuts down on unnecessary waste that may occur due to doubt over whether the food has perished or not. This will also have beneficial cost implications to the consumer by cutting out unnecessary purchases.

The product is designed to be re-usable and therefore cost effective to the consumer. The design also meets the requirement for clear, easily readable information.

Due to the Perishable Food Date Reminder being positioned on top of the jar the manufacturers' product information label will not be obscured.

Preferably the jar lid that incorporates the Perishable Food Date Reminder would have a feature that locks the discs in place when the vacuum lid is first opened. S 3

Claims (3)

1. CLAIMS1. A perishable food date reminder containing 2 discs that can be rotated to indicate the desired date within a cut out or transparent window.
2. 2. A perishable food date reminder according to claim 1 which is retro fitted to a food container by means of either a magnetic or adhesive element on the underside of the device.
3. 3. A perishable food date reminder according to claim I which is incorporated into a custom fit jar lid.