Nestable containers with reversibly deformable closures
AssigneeFoldware, Inc.
InventorsJames C. Kolar, Curtis B. Herbert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments include nestable containers and reversibly deformable closures for the containers that are disposable in the nested arrangement. For example, materials and methods are described for making and using a food storage apparatus having food storage containers and closures for the containers, the food storage apparatus including a plurality of nested food storage containers each having an opening, and a plurality of reversibly deformable closures for covering the openings, with the containers being nestable with each other with one of the closures disposed between each nested container.
Claims47
A food storage apparatus having food storage containers and detachable, reversibly deformable closures reversibly movable between a covering position for fastening to and covering the containers and a storage position for storing the closures, the food storage apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of nested food storage containers each having an opening;
- and,
- a plurality of reversibly deformable closures for reversibly fastening to the containers in the covering position to cover the openings to thereby form a substantially watertight seal with the containers, with the closures being detachable from the containers,
- wherein the containers are nestable with each other with one of the closures in the storage position to thereby be disposed between each nested container and entirely within one of the containers, and the openings of the containers each have the same dimensions.
A method of storing a plurality of food storage containers, the method comprising nesting the plurality of containers with each other with a detachable and reversibly deformable closure disposed between the plurality of containers and entirely within one of the containers, wherein the plurality of containers each comprise an opening of the same dimension and the detachable and reversibly deformable closure may be reversibly fastened to the container to cover the opening to thereby form a substantially watertight seal with the container.
A food storage apparatus having a container with an opening and a closure reversibly deformable between a storage position and a covering position for covering the opening, the apparatus comprising:
- food storage container having an opening and being nestable with other containers of identical size and shape, and
- reversibly deformable closure for covering the opening in a covering position to thereby form a substantially watertight seal with the container that is detachable from the container and is reversibly deformable by folding from the covering position to a storage position,
- wherein the closure comprises a nondeformable portion and has a projected surface area in the storage position that is less than a projected surface area of the closure in the covering position such that the closure is storable inside the container while other containers of identical size and shape are nested in the container wherein the reversibly deformable closure comprises a fold for reversibly deforming the closure from the storage position to the covering position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.