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Cereal bowlRelated Patent Categories: Receptacles, Table Dish (e.g., Plate, Bowl, Platter, Etc.)Cereal bowl description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060207993, Cereal bowl. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present disclosure relates to bowls used to hold food products during consumption. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to bowls with coverings to reduce spillage in the event the bowl is turned upside down. [0002] Bowls are well known and widely used. Coverings having a sealing interface with a storage container such as a bowl are also well known. During use, bowls are typically supported by a table or other stable surface in a horizontal position. When a conventional bowl such as a cereal bowl is turned upside down, the contents of the bowl will spill out. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0003] The present invention comprises one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and/or the following features which, alone or in any combination, may comprise patentable subject matter: [0004] A container may comprise a bowl and a covering removably coupleable to the bowl. The covering may include an opening which provides access to contents of the container by a person using an eating utensil, such as a spoon, for example, to consume the contents. The container may be configured to retain contents of the bowl if the bowl is tipped or flipped over. [0005] The bowl may have a bottom and an annular side wall. The side wall may have an increasing diameter as the sidewall progresses away from the bottom. However, the sidewall of the bowl may have any desired shape including frustoconical, concave, or convex, as well as combinations of these. The radii of curvature of the convex and concave portions of the sidewall may vary from portion to portion of the sidewall. In some embodiments, the bowl may not have a uniform shape about a central axis. For example, the bowl may have a polygonal shape such as a square, hexagon, or octagon when the bowl is viewed along a central axis. In some embodiments, the bottom may be omitted and the sidewall may form a uniform shape such as a hemispherical shape, for example, with feet or similar supports coupled to the sidewall to support the bowl when resting on a surface. In some embodiments, the bottom may form a substantially planar surface which provides support to the bowl when the bowl is placed on a flat, level surface. [0006] The sidewall surrounds an interior region of the bowl. An upper edge of the sidewall of the bowl defines an opening through which the interior region is accessed. The upper edge of the sidewall of the bowl may have a flange. The flange may have a substantially planar horizontal engagement surface and a substantially cylindrical vertical engagement surface. [0007] The covering may engage the top of the bowl so as to form a substantially liquid-tight seal at the connection of the covering and the bowl. The covering may be shaped such that portions of the covering complement portions of the bowl so as to form a volume between the covering and the bowl. The opening in the center of the covering may be surrounded by a channel. The channel may have various shapes with the bowl sidewall having any of a number of complementary profiles to the channel. When the covering is coupled to the bowl, the covering channel may complement the bowl sidewall to form a volume to retain contents of the container in the event the container is flipped over. [0008] In one illustrative embodiment, the covering may have an annular shape about a central axis that is common to the central axis of the bowl when the covering is coupled to the bowl. The opening in the covering may be centered on the central axis. [0009] The covering may also include an engagement portion about the periphery of the covering, the engagement portion comprising a locking flange, a lip, and a sealing flange. The sealing flange may engage the horizontal engagement surface of the bowl flange to form a substantially liquid-tight seal. The covering may be removably coupled to the bowl by the locking flange, wherein the lip extends vertically downward from the sealing flange of the covering and engages the vertical engagement surface of the bowl and the locking flange engages a lower edge of the vertical engagement surface of the bowl to provide a friction fit between the locking flange and the edge to retain the covering on the bowl. While the illustrative embodiment shows the coupling features described herein, it should be understood that a number of methods are known for locking a covering to a bowl to form a substantially liquid-tight seal and that any of those methods may be employed within the scope of the invention disclosed herein. [0010] Inboard from the engagement portion of the covering toward the central axis, the covering may have an arch-shaped cross-section so as to form a continuous channel about the central axis, the channel opening downwardly toward the interior region of the bowl. The shape of the channel in the covering may be such that the covering may complement the sidewall of the bowl so that the covering and sidewall form a volume therebetween that is of sufficient size to contain a volume equal to or greater than a volume of the interior region of the bowl. The channel may be formed by an arching surface profile as the covering progresses inwardly from the sealing flange of the engagement portion toward the central axis with the arching surface terminating at a lower edge which is below the top of the sidewall of the bowl. The opening through which a person can access the contents of the container is formed by the lower edge of the arching surface. In the illustrative embodiment, the channel is arch shaped. It should be understood that any of a number of shapes which complement the various shapes of the sidewall of the bowl may be used to form the channel and, thereby, the volume between the covering and the bowl. [0011] The arching surface of the channel portion may be shaped to provide sufficient clearance to allow a person using a spoon to access contents of the container in a near horizontal orientation providing for the contents of the container being removed with the spoon without spilling during removal of the spoon from the opening. The opening may be sized to complement the shape of the arching surface on the top of the covering to facilitate spooning contents from the container. [0012] The covering may be made of a pliable thermoplastic which has sufficient flexibility to allow the lip of the covering to slip past the vertical engagement surface of the bowl to retain the covering on the bowl. In some embodiments, the covering may comprise a transparent or translucent material such that the contents of the container are visible through the covering. Similarly, the bowl may be made of a pliable and resilient thermoplastic material to provide flexibility of the bowl while the covering is removably coupled to the bowl. [0013] The covering may have a substantially continuous thickness throughout, such that a downwardly facing surface of the covering and an upwardly facing surface of the covering are substantially parallel. The covering may have an integrated handle or tab which extends from the periphery of the covering to provide a grip for the container and to provide leverage for disengagement of the covering from the bowl during removal of the covering from the bowl. [0014] Additional features, which alone or in combination with any other feature(s), including those listed above and those listed in the claims, may comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: [0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container having a covering removably coupled to a bowl such that the covering and bowl form a substantially liquid-tight seal, the covering having an opening through which food may be accessed by an eating utensil; [0017] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the container of FIG. 1; [0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, showing contents in the bowl; [0019] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 3 rotated ninety degrees about a horizontal axis showing the position of contents in the bowl; and [0020] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 3 rotated one-hundred eighty degrees about a horizontal axis showing the position of contents in the bowl. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading about Cereal bowl... Full patent description for Cereal bowl Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Cereal bowl patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Cereal bowl or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Coffee machine drip catcher Next Patent Application: Container with displaceable handle Industry Class: Receptacles ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Cereal bowl patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.14338 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Computers: Graphics , I/O , Processors , Dyn. Storage , Static Storage , Printers 174 |
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