Thermal preservation insert for food storage container
OwnerWilliam S. Lernerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A freezer insert, a warmer insert or a freezer/warmer insert designed for use inside plastic food containers conforms to the bottom of the various sizes and shapes of the most popular plastic food containers sold under brand names such as Ziplock, Glad, Tupperware. The insert is a flat disk and contains known gels or thermal preservation fluids useful for portable cooling or warming. The insert also can rest on the walls of the container if those walls slope outward in the direction of the opening. The inserts divide the container vertically into cool, extra cool or hot compartments for different types of food. The disk can be round, square or of other shape. The inserts are stackable to allow efficient storage, for example in a freezer or kitchen cabinet.
Claims24
A thermal preservation insert for inserting into a plastic food container, said plastic food container including a bottom and a container wall, said container wall having a lower portion that meets the bottom, the thermal preservation insert comprising:
- a flat disk, the flat disk containing a thermal preservation fluid completely buried inside the disk,
- the disk having a lower surface that conforms to a shape of the bottom of the plastic food container,
- the disk having a substantially flat upper surface, and
- the disk having a side that conforms to a shape of the lower portion of the container wall of the plastic food container.
A thermal preservation insert for inserting into a plastic food container, said plastic food container including a bottom and a sloping container wall, an interior space defined by said sloping container wall narrowing toward the bottom, said plastic food container having a lower portion that meets the bottom, the thermal preservation insert comprising:
- a flat disk, the flat disk containing a thermal preservation fluid completely buried inside the disk,
- the disk having a lower surface that conforms to a shape of the bottom of the plastic food container,
- the disk having a substantially flat upper surface,
- the disk having a side that conforms to the lower portion of the sloping container wall of the plastic food container, and
- the flat disk capable of being inserted into the plastic food container so as to rest on an intermediate portion of the sloping container wall of the plastic food container.
A thermal preservation insert for inserting into a plastic food container, said plastic food container including a bottom and a container wall, said container wall having a ridge and a lower portion that meets the bottom, the thermal preservation insert comprising:
- a flat disk, the flat disk containing a thermal preservation fluid completely buried inside the disk,
- the disk having a lower surface that conforms to a shape of the bottom of the plastic food container,
- the disk having a substantially flat upper surface, and
- the disk having a side that conforms to a shape of the lower portion of the container wall of the plastic food container and having a width that conforms to a width of the container wall just above the ridge.
A thermal preservation insert for inserting into a plastic food container, said plastic food container including a bottom and a sloping container wall, an interior space defined by said sloping container wall narrowing toward the bottom, said sloping wall having a ridge in an intermediate portion thereof, said plastic food container having a lower portion that meets the bottom, the thermal preservation insert comprising:
- a flat disk, the flat disk containing a thermal preservation fluid completely buried inside the disk,
- the disk having a lower surface that conforms to a shape of the bottom of the plastic food container,
- the disk having a substantially flat upper surface,
- the disk having a side that conforms to the lower portion of the sloping container wall of the plastic food container, and
- the flat disk capable of being inserted into the plastic food container so as to rest on an intermediate portion of the sloping container wall of the plastic food container just above the ridge.
A combination of a thermal preservation insert and a plastic food container, comprising:
- a plastic food container including a bottom and a container wall, said container wall having a lower portion that meets the bottom,
- a thermal preservation insert comprising:
- a disk, the disk containing a thermal preservation fluid completely buried inside the disk,
- the disk having a lower surface that conforms to a shape of the bottom of the plastic food container, and
- the disk having a side that conforms to a shape of the lower portion of the container wall of the plastic food container.
A combination of a plastic food container with a thermal preservation insert, comprising:
- a plastic food container including a bottom and a sloping container wall, an interior space defined by said sloping container wall narrowing toward the bottom, said plastic food container having a lower portion that meets the bottom,
- a thermal preservation insert comprising:
- a disk, the disk containing a thermal preservation fluid completely buried inside the disk,
- the disk having a lower surface that conforms to a shape of the bottom of the plastic food container,
- the disk having a side that conforms to the lower portion of the sloping container wall of the plastic food container, and
- the flat disk capable of being inserted into the plastic food container so as to rest on an intermediate portion of the sloping container wall of the plastic food container.
A combination of a plastic food container with two thermal preservation inserts, comprising:
- a plastic food container including a bottom and a sloping container wall, an interior space defined by said sloping container wall narrowing toward the bottom, said plastic food container having a lower portion that meets the bottom,
- a first thermal preservation insert placed on the bottom of the plastic food container and comprising:
- a disk, the disk containing a thermal preservation fluid completely buried inside the disk,
- the disk having a lower surface that conforms to a shape of the bottom of the plastic food container,
- the disk having a side that conforms to the lower portion of the sloping container wall of the plastic food container, and
- a second thermal preservation insert identical to the first freezer disk and resting on an intermediate portion of the sloping container wall disk of the plastic food container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.