HK1226268B - Receptacle system with lid assembly - Google Patents

Description

Container system with lid assembly

Priority claim

This application claims priority to U.S. Utility Patent Application No. 14/028,126, filed September 16, 2013, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to container systems for housing consumable and disposable items while keeping them physically separate.

Background Art

Soft fruits with seeds or pits (e.g., cherries, apricots, peaches, etc.), while popular for their flavor, present the problem of discarding the pits (or pits or seeds). Due to this inconvenience, some consumers choose not to eat these fruits. Similarly, shelled nuts, such as peanuts and sunflower seeds, present the problem of discarding the shells.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to container systems and methods of use. In one embodiment, the container system includes a cup and a lid assembly. The lid assembly is configured to allow for the removal of consumable items, such as, but not limited to, fruit, nuts, and seafood, while also providing a receptacle for disposable items, such as, but not limited to, kernels, shells, and seeds left behind by the consumable items. The cup, lid assembly, or both can be discarded, replaced, or reused. The lid assembly includes at least one barrier surface or wall that provides a physical separation between the consumable items and the disposable items.

In one aspect of the present invention, a container system includes a cup configured to hold a consumable item and a lid assembly having an upper lid and a lower lid that cooperate to dispense the consumable item from the cup and also provide a holding cavity for the disposable item, the lower lid including a surface and a barrier wall for maintaining the disposable item separated from the consumable item.

In another aspect of the present invention, the cover assembly includes an upper cover and a lower cover, which cooperate to dispense multiple consumable items from a container, the upper cover and the lower cover form a receiving cavity for multiple disposable items, and the lower cover includes a surface and a barrier wall for maintaining the disposable items separated from the consumable items.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method for containing consumable and disposable items using a container system includes the following steps: (1) tilting the container system to allow the consumable item to be dispensed from the cup of the container system and also through the first hole and the second hole of the lid assembly; (2) consuming the consumable item; and (3) discharging the disposable item into the lid assembly of the container system through the third hole of the lid assembly, wherein the lid assembly is configured to provide a receiving cavity for the disposable item while maintaining physical separation between the disposable item and the consumable item.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings:

FIG1 is a perspective view of a container system having a cup and lid assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;

2A is a perspective view of an upper cover of the cover assembly of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention;

2B is a perspective view of a lower cover of the cover assembly of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG3A is an upper cover of a cover assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3B is a lower cover of a cover assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following, certain specific details are set forth to provide a complete understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be practiced without employing these details. In other examples, known structures associated with containers for holding fruits, nuts, and other types of foods, and various lids for such containers, and including methods of making or using any of the foregoing, are not necessarily described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments of the present invention. For simplicity and clarity, the following description will refer to a container system for holding cherries and discarding the cherry pits and/or stems, but it will be understood that the container system can be used for a variety of foods, such as, but not limited to, nuts (e.g., pistachios and peanuts), sunflower seeds, other types of fruits with seeds and/or stems, and shrimp or other types of peelable seafood. More generally, the container system can be used for any food that includes a consumable portion and a disposable portion.

1 shows a container system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention having a cup 102 for receiving a plurality of consumable items (e.g., cherries) and also having a lid assembly 106 configured to receive a plurality of disposable items (e.g., cherry pits) 108. The lid assembly 106 is configured to receive the disposable items while providing a barrier between the disposable items and the consumable items 104. As an example, the container system 100 allows a user to consume the cherries and has a convenient location to temporarily place the cherry pits 108 without having to discard the cherry pits 108 on the ground or in a trash container. In addition, the lid assembly 106 allows the consumable items 104 to be consumed by tilting the cup 102 toward the mouth while all of the pits 108 themselves remain contained within the lid assembly 106.

1 , FIG2A and FIG2B illustrate perspective views of an upper cover 110 and a lower cover 112 , respectively, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The upper cover 110 and the lower cover 112 cooperate to form a cover assembly 106 .

The upper cover 110 includes a first peripheral portion 114 of the upper cover 110 that is connectable to a second peripheral portion 116 of the lower cover 112. As an example, the first peripheral portion 114 and the second peripheral portion 116 can be snap-fitted together (e.g., a slight interference fit), mechanically threaded together, or mechanically connected together in some other manner. The upper cover 110 includes a dome portion 118 that cooperates with a support surface 120 to contain and secure the disposable item 108 within the cover assembly 106, particularly when the container system 100 is tilted. The support surface 120 provides a physical separation between the consumable item 104 in the cup 102 and the disposable item 108 that is discharged into the cover assembly 106.

In addition, the upper lid 110 includes a first upper lid aperture 122 sized to allow removal of the consumable product 104. The upper lid 110 also includes a second lower lid aperture 124 sized to receive the disposable product 108. The lower lid 112 includes a first lower lid aperture 126 and a barrier wall 128. The first lower lid aperture 126 is sized to cooperate with the first upper lid aperture 122 to allow removal of the consumable product 104. The first lower lid aperture 126 and the first upper lid aperture 122 can have the same size and configuration, or can differ slightly depending on the application in which the container system 100 is used. As an example, the size of the first upper lid aperture 122 can be slightly smaller than the size of the first lower lid aperture 126 to control the rate at which the consumable product 104 is dispensed from the container system 100. The barrier wall 128 operates to prevent the disposable product 108 from falling into the cup 102. The barrier wall 128 can take a variety of configurations, but is preferably sized and shaped to cooperate with the lid 110 to prevent the disposables 108 from falling into the cup 102 .

3A and 3B illustrate another embodiment of an upper cover 200 and a lower cover 202. The upper cover peripheral portion 204 includes a protrusion 206 that cooperates to couple the upper cover 200 to the lower cover 202. Similarly, the lower cover peripheral portion 208 includes a detent 210 configured to receive the protrusion 206. Furthermore, the protrusion 206 and detent 210 can allow the upper cover 200 to be aligned with the lower cover 202, thereby easily aligning the holes 122 and 126. It should be appreciated that the protrusion 206 can be in the form of a detent, and the detent 210 can be in the form of a protrusion.

In operation, the user can tilt the cup 102 and pour one or more consumable items 104 into their mouth. Once the consumable items 104 have been consumed, the user can rotate the cup 102 and eject the disposable items 108 into the lid assembly 106. Once all of the consumable items 104 have been consumed, or when the lid assembly 106 is full, the user can discard the disposable items 108 and reuse the cup 102. The lid assembly 106 can also be discarded or reused. In particular, the user can advantageously perform this operation with one hand without any fuss.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention (as described above) has been shown and described, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the preferred cover is a typical circular cover, but it can have any shape. All dimensions of the container, cover and opening can also be adjusted to assemble as needed. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the present invention should be determined in full with reference to the following claims.

Claims (13)

1. A container system, comprising: A cup, the cup being configured to hold consumables; and A lid assembly having an upper lid and a lower lid that cooperate to dispense consumables from a cup, the upper and lower lids defining a receptacle for disposable items separate from the cup only when joined together, the lower lid including a surface and a barrier wall for maintaining separation of disposable items from consumables. The upper cover includes a first upper cover opening for dispensing consumables, the lower cover includes a lower cover opening, the upper cover includes a second upper cover opening for receiving disposables, and the openings in the cover assembly are configured to allow the consumables to be consumed by tilting the cup toward the mouth using the gravity of the consumables, while maintaining the disposables contained within the cover assembly, wherein a barrier wall partially surrounds the lower cover opening. 2. The container system of claim 1, wherein the first upper cover hole is aligned with the lower cover hole to dispense consumables from the cup. 3. The container system of claim 1, wherein the top cover includes a dome portion. 4. The container system of claim 1, wherein the barrier wall is a curved wall. 5. The container system of claim 1, wherein the upper cover is mechanically connected to the lower cover and is removable from the lower cover. 6. A cover assembly, comprising: Top cover; and The lower lid cooperates with the upper lid to dispense multiple consumables from the cup. The upper and lower lids define a separate receiving cavity for the multiple disposable items only when they are joined together. The lower lid includes a surface and a barrier wall to maintain the separation of disposable items from consumables. The upper cover includes a first upper cover opening for dispensing consumables, the lower cover includes a lower cover opening, the upper cover includes a second upper cover opening for receiving disposables, and the openings in the cover assembly are configured to allow the consumables to be consumed by tilting the cup toward the mouth using the gravity of the consumables, while maintaining the disposables contained within the cover assembly, wherein a barrier wall partially surrounds the lower cover opening. 7. The lid assembly of claim 6, wherein the first upper lid hole is aligned with the lower lid hole to dispense consumables from the cup. 8. The cover assembly of claim 6, wherein the upper cover includes a dome portion. 9. The cover assembly of claim 6, wherein the barrier wall is a curved wall. 10. The cover assembly of claim 6, wherein the upper cover is mechanically connected to the lower cover and is removable from the lower cover. 11. A method of using a container system to contain consumables and discardables, the method comprising: A tilting container system to allow consumables to be dispensed from the cup of the container system and further dispensed through the first upper and lower lid openings of the lid assembly; Consumable items; and Disposable items are discharged into the lid assembly of the container system through a second upper cover opening of the lid assembly, wherein the lid assembly is configured to provide a receiving cavity for the disposable items, and also provides a barrier wall to maintain physical separation between the disposable items and consumable items, wherein the barrier wall partially surrounds the lower cover opening. The holes in the lid assembly are configured to allow the consumable to be consumed by tilting the cup toward the mouth using the weight of the consumable, while at the same time keeping the disposable items contained within the lid assembly. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising removing the lid assembly from the cup and separating the upper and lower lids of the lid assembly. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising discarding the discardable item.