ITMI20011610A1 - FOOD CONTAINER IN PARTICULAR HERMETIC CONTAINER FOR THE CONSERVATION OF FOOD IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND IN THE FREEZER AND DEFROST IT - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a container for food, in particular an airtight container for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer and defrosting in the microwave oven.

As is known, there are already on the market food containers, which are specially designed for their use in the refrigerator and freezer, which are made in such a way that they can be placed in a microwave oven for heating the product contained. .

During the heating phase in microwave ovens it is necessary to remove the lid of the hermetic containers, to avoid violent removal of the same due to the pressure of the steam generated during the defrosting and subsequent heating of the food.

This fact causes two types of drawbacks, the first of which is constituted by the fact that it is necessary to carry out a first defrosting phase to allow the lid to be removed and, secondly, heating the container without a lid does not prevent the food from the container in the form of splashes.

The solutions of the known art have not at the moment been able to adequately solve the problem and, in many cases have led to the realization of complex structures, which, however, have not allowed an optimization of the problem.

The aim of the invention is precisely that of solving the problem described above, realizing a container for food that allows to defrost and heat the food contained in the containers, in a microwave oven, without having to proceed with the preventive removal of the lid, being able to thus obtaining a single passage from the freezer to the microwave oven, reducing both the time necessary for the elimination of the defrosting pause at room temperature, and improving the general situation, as splashes towards the outside are prevented.

Within the scope of the aforementioned aim, a particular object of the invention is to provide a container for food which, although it can be placed for defrosting in the microwave oven, is capable of obtaining a perfect hermetic seal, avoiding that, at the inside the refrigerator, odors produced by different foods can be mixed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a container which makes it possible to obtain an optimal adherence for closing the lid on the container, by carrying out particularly simple operations.

Not least object of the present invention is to provide a container for food which, due to its particular constructive characteristics, is capable of giving the greatest guarantees of reliability and safety in use.

The aforementioned aim, as well as the aforementioned objects and the others which will appear better later, are achieved by a container for food, in particular an airtight container for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer, according to the invention, comprising a base body with which a lid defining a groove open towards the edge of said base body can be hermetically associated, characterized in that said lid has a substantially rigid central portion to which a substantially elastic peripheral portion defining said groove is associated, said central portion extending , in a radial direction, at the most up to the area delimited by said edge.

Further characteristics and advantages will become clearer from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a container for food, in particular an airtight container for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer, illustrated by the indicative and non-limiting title with the help of the united drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic cross-section view of a container for food according to the invention;

Figure 2 represents a plurality of base bodies of the container, seen in section and stacked together;

Figure 3 is a sectional and exploded view of the detail of the connection between the cover and the base body;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the container in the closed position;

Figure 5 schematically shows the deformation undergone by the lid when the product is heated in the container.

With reference to the aforementioned figures, the container for food, in particular airtight container for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer, according to the invention, which is indicated in its entirety with the reference number 1, comprises a base body 2 which it is advantageously made of a plastic material compatible for its use with food products.

As highlighted in section, the base body 2 has a lateral surface which is advantageously inclined towards the outside and presents, in cross section, a substantially sinusoidal trend.

On the walls 3 there can be alternating satin bands and glossy bands in order to better visualize the contents of the container.

Advantageously, the looped portions that define the sinusoidal path have internal radii of curvature Ri and external radii of curvature Re which are substantially equal to each other.

In proximity to the upper part of the side wall, a flange-like edging is provided, indicated with 5, which peripherally affects the entire base body 2 and acts as a stiffening element.

A cover 10 can be coupled to the base body 2 which defines a groove 11 open on the perimeter towards the base body 2.

More in detail, the lid 10 has a substantially rigid central portion 12 which ends peripherally with a protruding tab 13 on which a peripheral portion 20 is applied, defining the groove 11 and advantageously made of elastically yielding material.

An important peculiarity of the invention is constituted by the fact that the tab 13 is consequently the rigid portion of the cover 10 and extends, in a radial direction, at most up to the zone which is limited by the edge 30 of the base body.

The edge 30 of the base body has a substantially rectilinear course and is preferably formed on the continuation of the lateral surface of the base body with an inclination which is between 0 and at most 10 °.

The peripheral portion, which is made of elastically yielding material, practically defines an inner lip 21 and an outer lip 22 between which the groove 11 is placed; the inner lip is coupled with the inner surface performing an excellent hermetic seal, in cooperation with the outer lip 22 which couples both with the outer surface of the edge 30 and with the flanging 5 which engages by contact with the lower edge 22a of the outer lip.

With this arrangement, an optimal hermetic seal is obtained as a synergistic effect is achieved between the elastic peripheral portion and the rigid central part which, in conditions of normal use, increases the adhesion that occurs between lips 21 and 22 and edge 30

It should also be noted that the radial end of the tongue 13 reaches at least one third of the thickness of the edge 30, so that the rigid portion can in practice overlap the edge that fits into the groove 11, but can never protrude radially from the outside. and inside.

The particular shape of the tab 13, which has a concavity facing the base body, means that, when the container is placed in the microwave oven, an action is exerted due to the pressure generated inside the container itself. thrust outwards on the rigid portion or central portion of the lid 10, which causes an oscillation of the tab 13 which overhangs the inner lip 21, which, in a certain sense, is forced to rotate away from the inner surface of the edge 30, thus making the seal more labile.

Similarly, due to this deformation action, the external lip 22 which engages with an upper portion of the edge 30 is subject to an outward spreading, thus creating a reduced sealing area which allows the steam which to be vented outwards. acts as a lubrication element on the support area and, by gradually venting to the outside, prevents the cover from being ejected.

To what has been said above, it should also be added that on the edge 30, above the area affected by the edge 5, it is possible to provide through holes which have both the function of further facilitating the escape of steam during the heating phase and the escape of air. in the initial stages of depressurization of the container, before its introduction into the refrigerator, depressurization which is achieved by exerting a pressure on the lid from the outside towards the inside.

The thicknesses of the inner lip and of the outer lip which are made of elastically yielding material can have different reciprocal ratios, even if the best results have been obtained by using substantially equal thicknesses.

In practical operation, as shown in Figure 5, the steam, exerting a force on the internal surface of the lid, forces it to deform the tab 13 inwards, detaching the internal lip 21 from the internal edge 30, allowing the steam to interpose. between the two surfaces, lubricating them and facilitating the lifting of the lid without bursting.

From what has been described above it can therefore be seen how the invention achieves the intended aim and objects and in particular it is emphasized that the particular reciprocal arrangement between rigid and soft parts of the lid allows to obtain a gradual venting of the steam without having to resort to the use of valves and without running the risk of any violent ejection of the lid or even explosions.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.

Furthermore, all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

The materials used, as long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS 1. Food container, in particular airtight container for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer and defrosting in the microwave oven, comprising a base body to which a lid defining a groove open towards the edge of said base body, characterized in that said lid has a substantially rigid central portion to which is associated a substantially elastic peripheral portion defining said groove, said central portion extending, in a radial direction, at most up to the area delimited by said edge. 2. Container, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said base body has a lateral surface inclined towards the outside and presenting, in cross section, a substantially sinusoidal course. 3. Container, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises on the lateral surface of said base body alternating satin bands with glossy bands. Container, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the looped portions of said sinusoidal course have internal radii of curvature substantially equal to the external radii of curvature. 5. Container, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said edge of said base body has a substantially rectilinear course positioned on the continuation of said lateral surface, in proximity to said edge, on said base body a external edging. 6. Container, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said substantially rigid central portion peripherally has a protruding tab on which said peripheral portion made of elastically yielding material is applied. 7. Container, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said peripheral portion made of elastically yielding material defines, in cross section, an inner lip and an outer lip delimiting said groove, said inner lip being able to be coupled tightly with the surface internal of said edge and said external lip being coupled with the external surface of said edge and with said edge. 8. Container, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the radial end of said tab reaches at least one third of the thickness of said edge. 9. Container, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tab has a concavity facing towards said base body. 10. Container, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure action exerted inside said container, during the heating phase, generates an oscillation of said tab with consequent oscillation towards the inside of the inner lip of said groove and oscillation of the outer lip towards the outside. 11. Container, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises on said edge of said base body, above the area affected by said edge, at least one through hole placed at a distance from the free edge of said edge less than the depth of said groove.