AU2005200235B2

AU2005200235B2 - A container for food products

Info

Publication number: AU2005200235B2
Application number: AU2005200235A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Franco Canuto; Elugenio Toppino
Original assignee: Soremartec SA
Current assignee: Soremartec SA
Priority date: 2004-01-29
Filing date: 2005-01-20
Publication date: 2010-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 2025-01-20
Also published as: ITTO20040043A1; DE102005001921B4; AT500344B8; AT500344A3; AT500344B1; PL210048B1; FR2869020B3; PL372478A1; AT500344A2; DE102005001921A1; AU2005200235A1; CH697840B1; BE1016263A6; FR2869020A3

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: Name of Applicant: Soremartec S.A. Actual Inventor(s): Franco Canuto, Eugenio Toppino Address for Service and Correspondence: PHILLIPS ORMONDE & FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 AUSTRALIA Invention Title: A CONTAINER FOR FOOD PRODUCTS Our Ref: 736833 POF Code: 1249/174411 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): -1 - 1A DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a container for food prod ucts, in particular intended for packaging a plurality of food products of different types which can be eaten together, or which can be consumed in combination or sequence. In particular', the invention relates to a container which can be' used to effect packaging of several food products that complement one another both from the organoleptic point of view and from the nutritional point of view, and which pre vents undesirable mixing- of various foodstuffs before and during consumption. There are known, for example, packagings .for food products which comprise in combination a liquid foodstuff, such as a beverage, a solid foodstuff, for example, batons of chocolate or a bakery product, such as bread sticks, and a cream-like foodstuff which can be eaten with the solid foodstuff. Taking into consideration the different types of food product and the physical characteristics and the proportioning thereof inside the packaging, these packagings comprise a main container having a plurality of compartments, wherein at least one of the compartments is defined by an auxiliary.con tainer which is constituted by an insert positioned inside the main container. The auxiliary container, which can itself define one or more compartments, is used- in order to provide a containment space which can be adjusted according to the proportioning of the product provided therein, independently of the volume of the main container. The present invention provides a novel container for the 2 packaging of a combination of a plurality of food products, particularly of the above-mentioned type, whose production is advantageous and- economical. The subject-matter of the invention is a container for food products as defined in the appended claims. Other advantages and features of the container according to the invention will become clear from the following detailed description which is given with reference to the appended drawings which are provided purely by way of non-limiting ex ample and in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container according to-the invention, - Figure 2 is a top view of the container of Figure 1, - Figure 3 is a view from below of the container of Figure 1 and - Figure 4 is a view sectioned along plane IV-IV of Figure 2. With reference to the drawings, a container according to the invention comprises a containment body which is generally designated 2, which is generally of cupped form, preferably of cylindrical or frustoconical form, which has a preferably circular or elliptical cross-section and a side wall 4, a base wall 6 and an upper mouth type opening 8. In particular; it relates to a containment body which has an integral (monobloc) structure, which is constituted by a plastics material, preferably suitable for contact with food stuffs, such as polypropylene, and which can be produced by means of injection moulding techniques.

3 A transverse partition designated 10 is integral with the body 2 and subdivides the internal space of the containment body 2 into two chambers, designated 12 and 14, respectively. The transverse partition 10, which is preferably a diametri cal partition in one configuration of the containment body having a circular cross-section, extends vertically from the base wall 6 up to the periphery of the mouth 8 and is pref erably connected to the side wall 4 of the containment body by means of arcuate or rounded wall portions 10a and 10b. A second transverse partition 16, which is also integral with the containment body, extends from an intermediate region of the transverse partition 10 to the side wall 4 and is con nected to them, preferably by means of arcuate wall portions 16a. The above-mentioned transverse partition 16 extends ver tically from the mouth profile 8, or from a region adjacent to the mouth profile, down to the base wall 6 of the contain ment body so as to subdivide the chamber 14 into two adjacent chambers or compartments 18 and 20. The compartment 20 has a base wall 22 which is illustrated with a dashed line in the drawing of Figure 1, which is con nected to and integral with the partitions 16 and 10 and to the side wall 4 and which is offset with respect to the base wall 6 of the containment body or spaced apart from the plane of the base wall 6. As -illustrated in the sectioned drawing of Figure 4, the base wall 22 of the compartment 20 is preferably connected to the side wall 4 of the container and to the partitions 16 and 10 by means of base wall portions 22a having an arcuate sec tional profile in a vertical plane, in order to make it eas ier for a consumer to remove a cream-like food substance 4 which - as indicated in greater detail below - is generally intended to be introduced into the compartment 20. The central region 22b of the base wall 22 is generally pla nar but can instead have a given concavity directed upwards. The arcuate wall portion 22a of the base wall is preferably further connected to the side wall 4 and to the dividing par titions 10 and 16 by means of a plurality of reinforcement ribs 36. The base wall 6 has, in a position facing the base wall 22, an opening 24 so that the base wall 22 of the compartment or chamber 20, the side wall 4 of the container, the wall of the dividing partition 10 and the partition 16 define an auxil iary chamber 26 which is open towards the bottom, or at the base of the containment body. The mouth 8 of -the containment body preferably has a radial flange 28, with which there can be associated - by adhesive bonding or welding - a closure strip (not illustrated) which is generally of metal material and/or plastics material, for example, in the form of multi-layer laminar material, which is usually produced in such a manner as to be selectively pierceable, over the entire extent thereof or at least at a predetermined region, for example, by means of a straw C which is provided with a pointed.end. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the side wall 4 of the containment body 2 has an indentation or recess 30 having - in cross-section of the 'container - a cusp-like profile, or a profile defined by arcuate portions 10a of the wall 4 which converge in a cusp-like manner, 5 wherein there can be accommodated and fixed, for example, by means of an adhesive, a straw C which is arranged vertically in that indentation in.a suitable film-like wrapper below the radial flange 28. As indicated above, the container is suitable for packaging food products which have different consistencies and which are able to be consumed in combination, in particular a bev erage, a solid food product and a food product having a cream-like consistency. In particular, the chamber 12, which preferably takes up approximately half of the volume of the body 2, is intended to receive a beverage, such as, for exam ple, a fruit juice, a soft drink, a syrup or a tea-based bev erage. Particularly when it is necessary for the beverage to be packaged under sterile conditions, that beverage, instead of being introduced directly into the chamber 12, can be con tained in an auxiliary container, for example, of thermo formed plastics material, which can be inserted in the cham ber 12 and which preferably has a shape substantially comple mentary to the containment space of that chamber. To that end,- it is preferable to use an auxiliary container which has a relatively flexible wall "and which is provided with a ra dial flange which extends round the mouth periphery thereof; In order to secure an auxiliary container (not illustrated) of this type,, there can be inserted in the chamber 12 (inside the chamber itself) engagement guides 32, which are consti tuted by way of example by vertical rib-like elements and which are associated with suitable internal projections 33 (which are formed at the top of the transverse partition 10 and the side wall 4a in the region of the mouth 8) which can engage in a restrained manner the upper annular periphery or 6 radial flange of the auxiliary container in the chamber 12. This auxiliary container can naturally itself have a closure strip which can be pierced by means of a straw and which is associated with or welded to the mouth periphery thereof. The compartment or chamber 18 is generally intended to re ceive a. solid food product, such as, for example, bread sticks or chocolate batons, but also a food product in granu lar or particle form, such as cereal puffs, pieces of hazel nuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachio nuts or the like. The compartment or chamber 20 is generally intended to re ceive a food product in the form of a cream which can be com bined, in organoleptic terms, with the solid food product. For this purpose, the cross-section of the chamber 20 - as indicated above - has a generally triangular shape with rounded corners 10a and 16a which facilitates the removal of the cream-like food substance by means of a spoon or spatula or by using the above-mentioned solid food product, which is constituted in this case by a foodstuff baton. As previously indicated, the monobloc container can be pro duced by plastics material being injection-moulded in such a manner that the production thereof does not require further assembly operations. The chamber. 26, which is open at the base of the container, constitutes an auxiliary containment space, which can receive an accessory, such as, for example, a spatula or a plaything, for example, a so-called surprise gift. In that case, it is intended that another closure element or a cover, which can be disengaged by hand and which allows access to the. chamber 26 and the removal of the above-mentioned accessory, can be 7 associated with the base wall of the container. In that manner, the removal of the accessory - carried out from the bottom of the container - is effected independently' of the opening of the container, for example, by removal of the closure strip which is associated with the mouth 8 and which is necessary for the conservation of the food sub stances. This results in a higher level of hygiene for the packaging. The packaging according to the invention is thereby suitable for a type of consumption which can be substantially defined as "eating and drinking", with the consumer having the possi bility of simultaneously or substantially simultaneously con suming different food substances and - optionally - having access to an .accessory or surprise which is accommodated in the container before or after the consumption of the food substances, and in any case independently of the consumption of those food substances. Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the forms of embodiment and details of the invention may be varied widely with respect to those described and illus trated, without thereby departing from the scope of the pre sent invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A container for food products comprising a containment body (2) having a base wall (6) , a side wall (4) and a mouth (8) adapted to be closed by a closure element, characterized in that it comprises a first dividing partition (10) which is integral with the containment body (2), which extends from the base wall (6) to the mouth periphery (8) and which is connected to the side wall (4)~ of the containment body by means of arcuate wall portions (10a, 10b) in such a manner as to define a first containment chamber (12) and a second con tainment chamber (14), and comprising at least a second di viding partition (16) which is integral with the containment body (2), which extends from the base wall (6) to the mouth periphery (8) and which is connected to the first dividing partition (10) and the side wall (4) of the containment body (2) so as to subdivide one of the first and second chambers (14) into two adjacent compartments (18, 20), and wherein one of those compartments (20) -has an auxiliary base wall (22) which is integral with the containment body (2) and which is offset with respect to the base wall (6) of the containment body (2), and in that the side wall (4) of the containment body (2) has at least one indentation (30) which is defined by the arcuate wall portions (10a), and extends from the base wall (6) up to the region of the mouth (8) of the container and which has a cusp-like profile in cross-section of the container.

2. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that the base wall (6) of the. containment body (2) has, in a posi tion facing the auxiliary base wall (22), an opening (24) in such a manner that an auxiliary chamber (26) open towards the base of the container is defined in the containment body (2). 9

3. A container according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the second dividing partition (16) is laterally con nected to an intermediate region of the first dividing parti tion (10) and to the side wall (4) of the containment body (2) by means of arcuate wall portions (16a).

4. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, char acterized in that a straw (C) or similar accessory is accom modated in that indentation (30).

5. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, char acterized in that the mouth (8) of the container has a radial flange (28), with which a closure strip can be associated.

6.- A container according to claim 2, characterized in that a closure element which is suitable for closing the opening (24) of the base wall (6) of the container is associated with the base wall (6) of the container.

7. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has an integral structure which can be produced by a plastics material being injection-moulded.

8. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the auxiliary base wall (22) of the compartment (20) is connected to the side wall (4) of the container and to the first dividing partition (11) and second dividing partition (16) by means of a base wall portion (22a) having an arcuate profile.

9. A container according to claim 8, characterized in that the base wall portion (22a) having an arcuate profile is fur ther connected to the side wall (4) and to the dividing par- 10 titions (10, 16) by means of a plurality of reinforcement ribs (36)

10. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side wall (4a) and the first divid ing partition (10) comprise, at the face thereof directed to wards the interior of the first containment -chamber (12), en gagement means (32, 33) which can secure an auxiliary con tainer accommodated in that first chamber.

11. A container according to claim 10, ,characterized in that the engagement means (32, 33) can engage a flange of the mouth of the auxiliary container.

12. A packaging for food products including a container ac cording to any one of claims 1 to 11 and further comprising a liquid food substance which is accommodated in the contain ment chamber (12), a solid food substance accommodated in one of the compartments (18) and a cream-like food substance which is accommodated in the other of those compartments (20).

13. A packaging according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises an auxiliary container which is inserted in the containment chamber (12), which contains the liquid food sub stance and which has a shape substantially complementary to the space of that containment chamber.

14. A packaging according to claim 13, characterized in that the side wall (4a) of the containment body (2) and/or the first dividing partition (10) has/have engagement means (32) (33) which can engage the upper wall or a radial flange of the mouth of the auxiliary container. 11 DATED: 20 January 2005 PHILLIPS ORMONDE & FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: SOREMARTEC S.A.