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US 8,616,402 B2Granted
Free-standing, stackable cereal bowl with elevated trough and method of use
OwnerEdward A. Andrewsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bowl includes a main bowl portion and an ancillary portion or trough integral with the side of the bowl that is shaped to receive cereal or other food as a staging location before the food is maneuvered into the main bowl portion.
Claims7
A method of ensuring that a supply of dry cereal is not initially mixed with a supply of wetted cereal in a bowl, the bowl having:
- (i) an interior surface comprising:
- (1) an interior bottom surface;
- (2) an elevated surface adjacent to the bottom surface;
- (3) a first wall portion that extends upward from the interior bottom surface toward a first portion of a rim;
- (4) a second wall portion that extends upward from the interior bottom surface to the elevated surface;
- and
- (5) a third wall portion that extends upward from the elevated surface toward a second portion of the rim;
- (6) wherein the first portion of the rim and the second portion of the rim extend upward to at least similar elevations;
- and
- (ii) an exterior surface having an exterior bottom surface and a shape that substantially corresponds to the interior surface, whereby the bowl is stackable, with another bowl having the same shape, (1) with the exterior surface of the bowl substantially adjacent to an interior surface of the other bowl when the bowl is stacked above the other bowl, and (2) with the interior surface of the bowl substantially adjacent to an exterior surface of the other bowl when the bowl is stacked below the other bowl;
- (iii) wherein the interior surface and a horizontal plane containing the lowest portion of the rim together enclose a volume containing (1) a main cavity circumscribed by the first wall portion and the second wall portion and (2) a trough circumscribed by the second wall portion and the third wall portion, which features (iii)(1) and (iii)(2) are coextensive and connected without substantial obstruction therebetween;
- and
- (iv) wherein the main cavity and the trough are configured and sized relative to each other so that the bowl remains stable when the bowl is sitting on the exterior bottom surface both (1) when the bowl is empty and (2) when the bowl is filled, to any level between the elevated surface and the plane, with a food product comprising a dry cereal,
- the method comprising:
- placing a first quantity of dry cereal in the main cavity of the bowl;
- (b) placing a second quantity of dry cereal in the trough of the bowl.
13 more elements
An apparatus for holding food comprising a bowl having:
- (a) an interior surface comprising:
- (i) an interior bottom surface;
- (ii) an elevated surface adjacent to the bottom surface;
- (iii) a first wall portion that extends upward from the interior bottom surface toward a first portion of a rim;
- (iv) a second wall portion that extends upward from the interior bottom surface to the elevated surface;
- and
- (v) a third wall portion that extends upward from the elevated surface toward a second portion of the rim;
- (vi) wherein the first portion of the rim and the second portion of the rim extend upward to at least similar elevations;
- and
- (b) an exterior surface having an exterior bottom surface and a shape that substantially corresponds to the interior surface, whereby the bowl is stackable, with another bowl having the same shape, (i) with the exterior surface of the bowl substantially adjacent to an interior surface of the other bowl when the bowl is stacked above the other bowl, and (ii) with the interior surface of the bowl substantially adjacent to an exterior surface of the other bowl when the bowl is stacked below the other bowl;
- (c) wherein the interior surface and a horizontal plane containing the lowest portion of the rim together enclose a volume containing (i) a main cavity circumscribed by the first wall portion and the second wall portion and (ii) a trough circumscribed by the second wall portion and the third wall portion, which elements (c)(i) and (c)(ii) are coextensive and connected without substantial obstruction therebetween;
- and
- (d) wherein the main cavity and the trough are configured and sized relative to each other so that the bowl remains stable when the bowl is sitting on the exterior bottom surface both (i) when the bowl is empty and (ii) when the bowl is filled, to any level between the elevated surface and the plane, with a food product comprising a dry cereal.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.