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US 9,199,779 B2Granted
Packages for dispensing liquid and dry food
AssigneesGeneral Mills, Inc., Dairy Management, Inc.
InventorsRobert A. Zoss, Linda Baggio, Jeffrey Enz, Michael J. Engstrom, Dan Genord
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Describe are food packages having features such as multiple containers in a single package and multiple pieces for a package; the packages can contain multiple food products including (for example) cereal and milk, for consumption together in a convenient manner.
Claims10
A multi-container package comprising
- a lower container comprising a lower container interior space defined by:
- a bottom;
- sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom, wherein the
- sidewalls have an upper edge;
- and
- an upper opening extending between the upper edges of the sidewalls;
- an upper container connected to the lower container, the upper container comprising:
- an upper container interior space defined by sidewalls having an upper edge and a lower edge;
- and
- an upper container bottom extending between the upper container sidewalls at the lower edge of the upper container sidewalls,
- wherein the entire upper container bottom is positioned above the upper opening of the lower container;
- a passage in fluid communication with the lower container interior space and the upper container interior space that allows liquid to flow out of the lower container interior space and into the upper container interior space as the package is tipped forward toward a front side of the package, wherein the passage comprises a lower edge at the upper container bottom and an inner passage wall that extends upwardly from the upper container bottom and that extends from a portion of the upper container sidewalls into the upper container interior space;
- and
- a vent spaced from the passage and located within the upper container interior space, wherein the vent allows pressure to equalize in the lower container interior space as the package is tipped forward and liquid flows out of the lower container interior space, wherein the vent comprises an upper vent opening located within the upper container interior space and spaced from the bottom of the upper container interior space, a lower vent opening at the upper container bottom, and a channel extending between the upper and lower vent openings, and wherein the upper container interior space does not extend into the lower container interior space.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.