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US4060176A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Container lid-spoon combination

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-08-08
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Granted: 1977-11-29
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Expires: 1995-08-08
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Abstract

Abstract A food container lid is described which is convertible into a spoon for use in eating food from the container. A flap which is separable from the remainder of the lid is bendable at its base outward from the plane of the lid covering through approximately 180° so that such flap provides a spoon bowl and the lid otherwise provides a handle for manipulation of such spoon bowl. The base of the flap is positioned inwardly of the peripheral edge portion of the lid covering so that when the flap is bent outward it overlaps such peripheral edge portion which thereby provides rigidity to the connection between the spoon bowl and the handle. The lid covering and the base of the spoon bowl flap are foldable upon themselves with the covering encompassing the base in order to enhance such structural rigidity.

Inventors

  • 👤 John R. Tobiasson

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 10:01
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D51/00; B65D51/24; B65D51/246; A; A47; A47G; A47G21/00; A47G21/04; A47G2021/002; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S215/00; Y10S215/05

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 330 words
A container lid convertible between the first position to function as a lid for closing the top of a container for food and a second position wherein it is folded to function as a spoon for removing and eating the contents of the container, comprising: in its first position a generally disc-shaped, snap-on food container lid comprising a generally discoidal removable planar covering for the mouth of said container, and a peripheral edge portion defining a rim channel circumscribing the body of said covering for receiving a complimentary lip on said container, said rim channel having an inner and an outer edge; a planar flap at the mid-portion of said covering having an edge contour generally corresponding to that of the planar projection of a bowl of a spoon with the base of said spoon bowl edge contour permanently secured to said covering along a straight fold line that extends between two points at least closely adjacent said inner edge of said rim channel of said covering; and in its second position a spoon having said flap bent on said straight fold line at said base outward from said covering through approximately 180° from said first position so as to be overlapping said rim channel; said flap projecting outwardly from said covering and said rim channel for a major portion of its length as measured along the longitudinal axis of said flap perpendicular to said straight fold line; both said covering and said rim channel being folded upon themselves about the longitudinal axis of said flap so that said flap is curved about its longitudinal axis to form a spoon bowl, so that the fold line and the corresponding arcuate shape of said rim channel and said covering overlaid by said flap provide structural rigidity to the connection between said spoon bowl and said handle, and said rim channel strengthens said peripheral edge portion to resist bending under pressure of said spoon bowl when said spoon bowl is in use.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 330 words
A container lid convertible between the first position to function as a lid for closing the top of a container for food and a second position wherein it is folded to function as a spoon for removing and eating the contents of the container, comprising: in its first position a generally disc-shaped, snap-on food container lid comprising a generally discoidal removable planar covering for the mouth of said container, and a peripheral edge portion defining a rim channel circumscribing the body of said covering for receiving a complimentary lip on said container, said rim channel having an inner and an outer edge; a planar flap at the mid-portion of said covering having an edge contour generally corresponding to that of the planar projection of a bowl of a spoon with the base of said spoon bowl edge contour permanently secured to said covering along a straight fold line that extends between two points at least closely adjacent said inner edge of said rim channel of said covering; and in its second position a spoon having said flap bent on said straight fold line at said base outward from said covering through approximately 180° from said first position so as to be overlapping said rim channel; said flap projecting outwardly from said covering and said rim channel for a major portion of its length as measured along the longitudinal axis of said flap perpendicular to said straight fold line; both said covering and said rim channel being folded upon themselves about the longitudinal axis of said flap so that said flap is curved about its longitudinal axis to form a spoon bowl, so that the fold line and the corresponding arcuate shape of said rim channel and said covering overlaid by said flap provide structural rigidity to the connection between said spoon bowl and said handle, and said rim channel strengthens said peripheral edge portion to resist bending under pressure of said spoon bowl when said spoon bowl is in use.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 64 words
The food container lid of claim 1 in combination with a food container having a bottom surface meeting a side wall at a circular joint line, the curvature of the front of said spoon bowl edge contour conforming essentially to the curvature of said circular joint line to facilitate removal with said spoon of food on said container bottom surface adjacent said joint line.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 43 words
The food container lid of claim 1 wherein said flap is provided as a piece separate except for said base from said covering which lies generally parallel with said covering when said covering closes the mouth of a container in said first position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 60 words
The food container lid of claim 1 wherein said flap is provided by a mid-portion of said covering which is partially separable from the remainder thereof, so that in said second position, said covering has a central opening with the material of said first position container lid then providing both said spoon bowl and said handle in said second position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 33 words
The food container lid of claim 4 further including a protective covering sheet laminated to the exterior surface of said covering and peelable therefrom to expose said covering mid-portion which provides said flap.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 41 words
The food container lid of claim 4 wherein said covering is a continuous sheet of material having a score line at its mid-portion following said spoon bowl edge contour, said material being tearable along said score line to provide said flap.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 22 words
The food container lid of claim 1 wherein said covering is made from a thermoformable sheet material which includes a synthetic polymer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
The food container lid of claim 7 wherein said synthetic polymer is selected from the group of resins consisting of vinyls, acrylics, olefins and styrenes.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1625335A Cited
US1834085A Cited
US1808949A Cited
US2433926A Cited
US2598987A Cited
US3334778A Cited
US3487974A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1980-11-28 1981-05-30 1981-11-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1984-11-28 1985-05-30 1985-11-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1988-11-28 1989-05-30 1989-11-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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