WO2012138520A1

WO2012138520A1 - Multicompartment cup

Info

Publication number: WO2012138520A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/030878
Authority: WO
Inventors: Neeraj Sharma
Original assignee: Quaker Oats Co
Current assignee: Quaker Oats Co
Priority date: 2011-04-06
Filing date: 2012-03-28
Publication date: 2012-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 2013-10-06
Also published as: US20120258213A1

Abstract

A multicompartment cup ( 100 ) may include an upper compartment ( 101 ) with a conical cross - section and a lower compartment ( 103 ) with a rectangular cross - section. The upper compartment may include a main food product such as cereal, oatmeal, grits, any milled grain product, yogurt, etc. and the lower compartment may include toppings and other enhancements for the main food product. The two compartments may be separated by a divider and a seal may cover the top of the upper compartment. In addition, a foldable eating utensil may be affixed to the multicompartment cup so that a user may eat the food products inside the multicompartment cup anywhere.

Description

MULTICOMPARTMENT CUP

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[01] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/472,553, filed April 6, 2011, and entitled "Enhanced Multicompartment Cup," the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

[02] This invention relates to an enhanced multicompartment cup for separately containing consumables therein and for allowing the contents of one of the compartments to be accessed, mixed, and eaten with the contents of another compartment,

BACKGROUND

[03] Today, cups and bowls exist for food products to be added with water and/or milk or even micro waved. At times, a second cup and/or bowl may be available for holding toppings that may be added to the main food product. Two or more cups may be put together by using technologies such as shrink wrap and may require additional operation for use. For instance, before consumption, a user may have to break the plastic (e.g., film) to reach the two or more cups. These implementations may thus use more plastic and/or other packaging than desirable. Also, the user may have to look for a spoon to eat the food product.

[04] Furthermore, it is increasingly common for foods to be purchased in containers from grocery stores, convenience stores, and fast food outlets in packages that also act as the container from which the foods are consumed. As a result of this general trend, a particular need exists for multicompartment containers that allow the packaging of two or more consumables which are intended to be consumed together, but cannot be packaged together in direct contact with each other, because to do so would compromise the freshness, crispness, or texture of one or more of the consumables. The need also exists for a multicompartment container which is easy to grip, provides a space convenient for mixing the consumables together without spilling, and is convenient to eat from once the consumables are mixed together. Moreover, such a container needs to be relatively compact, attractive, simple and inexpensive to manufacture. A further need of the multicompartment container is that it must be capable of efficient filling of each of the separate consumables during mass processing, and thereafter be provided with a reliable and secure seal to close the container.

A need exists for a multicompartment container device wherein the compartments are positioned together in a manner which does not create any voids or crevices into which food or foreign products might enter. When this occurs, it results not only in an unsightly appearance, but also presents the possibility of the development of an unhealthy or unsanitary condition.

A number of multicompartment container packages have been disclosed in the prior art, each with their own particular shortcomings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,941 discloses an upper container suitable for storing fresh fruit and removably mounted within a larger lower container suitable for storing cottage cheese. This patent, however, does not provide a lower compartment with reduced diameter for the purpose of allowing the container to be conveniently gripped during the consumption of its contents. This patent also does not provide a container having an upper compartment of increased diameter relative to the lower compartment for conveniently receiving and mixing the food product from the removed lower compartment.

The need exists for a multicompartment container device for storing two or more consumables that is convenient to grip and minimizes spilling when the two consumables are combined and consumed from the container device. The multicompartment container device also needs to have one container removably secured to the other container in a manner which does not create voids or crevices in places that might allow unwanted food or foreign products to accumulate. SUMMARY

[09] In light of the foregoing background, the following presents a simplified summary of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

[10] Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a multicompartment cup that allows two or more different consumables to be stored separately. During use, the contents of one of the compartments may be detached from the multicompartment cup and mixed with the contents of another compartment.

[11] In certain aspects, an upper compartment may be conical in shape and a lower compartment may be rectangular in shape.

[12] In certain aspects, a removable seal may cover each of the compartments and a spoon may be attached to the multicompartment cup to allow the contents of the cup to be eaten.

[13] This summary is intended to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. The summary is not intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[14] A more complete understanding of aspects of the present disclosure and the advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description in consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:

[15] Figure 1 illustrates a first side view of a multicompartment cup in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. [16] Figure 2 illustrates a first top-down view of a multicompartment cup in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[17] Figure 3 illustrates a second top-down view of a multicompartment cup in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[18] Figure 4 illustrates a third top-down view of a multicompartment cup in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[19] Figure 5 illustrates a second side view of a multicompartment cup in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[20] Figure 6 illustrates a fourth top-down view of a multicompartment cup in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[21] In the following description of the various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made.

[22] Figure 1 illustrates a first side view of a multicompartment cup in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. Cup 100 may be manufactured from a variety of materials, including plastic, paper, citrus-based fiber, biodegradable materials, metal, etc. Figure 1 shows one possible set of dimensions (e.g., in inches) for various parts of the cup 100. Although any number of compartments may be present, Figure 1 shows cup 100 with an upper compartment 101 and a lower compartment 103. As is shown in Figure 1, upper compartment 101 may have a conical cross-section and lower compartment 103 may have a rectangular cross-section. As shown, the diameter of cup 100 may increase from bottom to top to allow a user of cup 100 to easily grip the cup 100 at the bottom. Moreover, the larger diameter size of the upper compartment 101 may allow more food product to fit into the upper compartment 101 and may aid in minimizing spilling when the contents of the two compartments that are mixed together in the upper compartment 101. Also, the smaller diameter of the cup 100 at the bottom may allow the cup 100 to more easily fit into a cup holder.

[23] The height and size of cup 100 may be adjusted according to a given application. In addition, the height and size of the upper compartment 101 and the lower compartment 103 may be adjusted as needed. In some embodiments, the height of the upper compartment 101 may be greater than the height of the lower compartment 103, as shown in Figure 1. In certain aspects, the contents of the upper compartment 101 and/or the lower compartment 103 may be packaged prior to inclusion in cup 100. For instance, if cereal or oatmeal is present in the upper compartment 101, a pouch of raisins may be packaged and placed into the lower compartment 103 for use as a topping on the cereal in upper compartment 101. In other embodiments, the contents of compartments 101 and 103 may not be packaged prior to being housed in the cup 100. Rather, the food products placed into upper compartment 101 and lower compartment 103 may be free to move throughout the confines of their respective compartments.

[24] Cup 100 may be a compact, simple, attractive, and inexpensive structure molded to have two or more compartments that are sealed to allow different food products to be stored separately. The upper compartment 101 of cup 100 may include a main product (e.g., cold cereal, oatmeal, grits, any milled grain product, yogurt, etc.). In certain embodiments, the product may be a dry product and may be sealed over the upper compartment 101. The lower compartment 103 may include another food product (e.g., toppings, enhancements, etc.) separated from the food product of the upper compartment 101. In addition, the cup 100 may include an eating utensil (e.g., spoon, fork, etc.) attached to the cup 100. In certain aspects, the eating utensil may be foldable so that a user may eat the food products inside cup 100 anywhere (e.g., home, school, office, on- the-go, etc.).

[25] When a user is ready to eat the contents of cup 100, the user may peel open a seal covering the upper compartment 101 (e.g., by pulling a tab, by cutting the seal open, by puncturing the seal, etc.). The user may then remove the contents of the lower compartment 103 from the cup 100. The contents of the lower compartment 103 may be removed from cup 100 in a variety of ways; for instance, a user may break a secure tape attaching the contents of the lower compartment 103 to the cup 100, may tear open a side of lower compartment 103, may apply pressure to a perforated edge along the side of lower compartment 103, and/or may pull on a tab that opens a side of lower compartment 103, among other things. Then the user may add water/milk as necessary to the contents of the upper compartment 101 and microwave or otherwise heat the contents of the upper compartment 101 as necessary. Thus, the cup 100 may be manufactured to withstand hot/cold temperatures and may be configured to hold solid as well as liquid food products.

] In other embodiments, water, milk, or other liquids may be added to the contents of the lower compartment 103 and/or the contents of the lower compartment 103 may be heated/microwaved as necessary.

] Once the contents of the lower compartment 103 are opened, the contents of the lower compartment 103 may be poured and/or otherwise added to the upper compartment 101. The eating utensil provided with the cup 100 may be used to mix the contents of the two compartments and to eat the mixed contents.

] Thus, cup 100 does not require shrink wrap to hold the two compartments 101 and 103 together. As a result, less plastic may be needed to seal cup structure 100. Finally, the inclusion of an eating utensil may allow a user to consume the contents of cup 100 at any time, without having to look for an eating utensil.

] As mentioned earlier, the cup 100 may be molded to include two or more compartments.

Because the molding process produces a sturdy divider between the compartments, no voids or crevices that may allow food or foreign products to enter are created. In other words, the consumable in one compartment may be reliably separated from the contents of the other compartments without the possibility of food particulates being lodged in between the compartments. In addition, cup 100 may be capable of efficient filling of each of the separate consumables during mass processing. [30] Cup 100 may also include a label on an exterior surface; the label may allow users to follow directions printed thereon for using cup 100. In addition, as discussed previously, cup 100 may comprise a package that includes a main food item, a topping, and a spoon for an all-in-one, eat anywhere, eat anytime product.

[31] Figure 2 illustrates a first top-down view 200 of a multicompartment cup in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In particular, Figure 2 shows one possible set of dimensions (e.g., in inches, etc.) for the circumference of the upper compartment 101 in cup 100. Similarly, Figure 3 illustrates a second top-down view 300 of a multicompartment cup in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In particular, Figure 3 shows one possible set of dimensions (e.g., in inches, etc.) for the inner and outer circumferences of the lower compartment 103 in cup 100. Here, the inner circumference may refer to the circumference when the wall thickness of the compartment is not included and the outer circumference may refer to the circumference when the wall thickness of the compartment is included. Figure 4 illustrates a third top-down view 400 of a multicompartment cup in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In particular, Figure 4 shows a possible set of dimensions (e.g., in inches, etc.) for the circumference of cup 100 at a given point along the height of cup 100. Figure 5 illustrates a second side view 500 of a multicompartment cup in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In particular, Figure 5 shows a possible set of lateral dimensions (e.g., in inches, etc.) of the cup 100 at a given height (with and without wall thicknesses). Finally, Figure 6 illustrates a fourth top-down view 600 of a multicompartment cup in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In particular, Figure 6 shows a possible set of dimensions (e.g., in inches, etc.) for the circumference of cup 100 at a given point along the height of cup 100.

[32] Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It should be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A multicompartment cup comprising:

an upper compartment configured with a conical cross section;

a lower compartment molded to the upper compartment and separated from the upper compartment by a divider, wherein the lower compartment is configured with a rectangular cross-section; and

an eating utensil removably affixed to at least one of the upper and the lower compartments.

2. The multicompartment cup of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the multicompartment cup increases from bottom to top to facilitate gripping of the multicompartment cup.

3. The multicompartment cup of claim 1, wherein a height of the upper compartment is greater than a height of the lower compartment.

4. The multicompartment cup of claim 1, wherein a first contents of the upper compartment and a second contents of the lower compartment are packaged prior to inclusion in the

multicompartment cup.

5. The multicompartment cup of claim 4, wherein the first contents includes at least one of cereal, oatmeal, grits, and yogurt.

6. The multicompartment cup of claim 4, wherein the second contents includes at least one of toppings and other enhancements for the first contents in the upper compartment.

7. The multicompartment cup of claim 1, wherein a first contents of the upper compartment is free to move throughout the upper compartment and a second contents of the lower compartment is free to move throughout the lower compartment.

8. The multicompartment cup of claim 1, further comprising: a seal affixed to a top of the upper compartment.

9. The multicompartment cup of claim 8, wherein the seal is configured to be peeled open when a user is ready to consume food contents of the multicompartment cup.

10. The multicompartment cup of claim 1, wherein contents of the lower compartment are configured to be removed from the multicompartment cup by at least one of breaking a secure tape attaching the contents of the lower compartment to the cup, tearing open a side of the lower compartment, applying pressure to a perforated edge along a side of the lower compartment, and pulling a tab that opens a side of the lower compartment.

11. The multicompartment cup of claim 1, wherein the eating utensil is configured to be foldable.

12. The multicompartment cup of claim 1, wherein a material of manufacture for the multicompartment cup is configured to withstand hot and cold temperatures.

13. The multicompartment cup of claim 1, further comprising: a label affixed on an exterior surface of the multicompartment cup.

14. A multicompartment cup comprising:

an upper compartment;

a lower compartment;

a divider separating the upper compartment from the lower compartment; and a seal covering a top of the upper compartment,

wherein a diameter of the multicompartment cup increases from a bottom of the multicompartment cup to a top of the multicompartment cup.

15. The multicompartment cup of claim 14, further comprising: a foldable eating utensil attached to the multicompartment cup.

16. The multicompartment cup of claim 14, wherein the upper compartment has a conical cross- section.

17. The multicompartment cup of claim 14, wherein the lower compartment has a rectangular cross-section.

18. The multicompartment cup of claim 14, wherein a height of the upper compartment is greater than a height of the lower compartment.

19. A cup comprising:

a conical upper compartment housing a first food product;

a rectangular lower compartment housing a second food product;

a divider separating the upper compartment from the lower compartment; and an eating utensil affixed to the cup.

20. The cup of claim 19, further comprising: a seal removably affixed to a top of the upper compartment.