A lunch box assembly having a main housing having a lid rotatably, hingedly attached to a base to provide access to an opened interior of one or more compartments is disclosed. The lid can have ferrously magnetic material and recesses to accept magnets. The magnets can be shaped to fit the recesses.
A lunch box assembly having a main housing having a lid rotatably, hingedly attached to a base to provide access to an opened interior of one or more compartments is disclosed. The lid can have ferrously magnetic material and recesses to accept magnets. The magnets can be shaped to fit the recesses. The base can have compartments aligned with corresponding compartments in the lid. The base and the lid can form one or more closed food storage compartments that separate the contents from the neighboring compartments. A latch on the base and lid can produce a clamping force on a small lidded container or containers placed in one or more of the compartments. The clamping force can clamp the lidded container closed and prevent leakage of fluids in the container.
대표청구항▼
1. A method for containing food in a container comprising: closing a food container comprising a first housing; a second housing rotatably attached to the first housing, wherein the food container has a first configuration and a second configuration, and wherein in the second configuration the first
1. A method for containing food in a container comprising: closing a food container comprising a first housing; a second housing rotatably attached to the first housing, wherein the food container has a first configuration and a second configuration, and wherein in the second configuration the first housing is substantially closed upon the second housing; and a sub-container comprising a cup and a lid, wherein the sub-container is removably positioned between the first housing and the second housing; andwherein the first housing comprises a latch assembly comprising a clasp;wherein closing the food container comprises rotating the clasp, wherein rotating the clasp comprises exerting a clamping force by the clasp on a top exterior surface of the second housing; andwherein the exerting of the clamping force comprises clamping the cup to the lid, and wherein the cup has a circular mouth; andwherein the second housing comprises a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein the first compartment has a first compartment wall and the second compartment has a second compartment wall, wherein the first compartment wall is adjacent to the second compartment wall and also separated from the second compartment wall by a compartment gap, wherein the clasp exerts a clamping force simultaneously on the top exterior surface of the first compartment and the top exterior surface of the second compartment when the food container is in the second configuration. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sub-container is fluid tight when the container is in the second configuration. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sub-container comprises a seal. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the sub-container is in the food container, the food container exerts a clamping force on the sub-container when the food container is in the second configuration, and the food container exerts no clamping force on the sub-container when the food container is the first configuration. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises a compartment having a compartment floor and compartment walls, and wherein the compartment has a retention feature extending from the compartment floor, and wherein the retention feature abuts the sub-container when the food container is in the second configuration. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first housing has a first compartment and a second compartment, and wherein the first compartment is adjacent to the second compartment, and wherein the first compartment has a first compartment wall adjacent to the second compartment, and wherein the second compartment has a second compartment wall adjacent to the first compartment, and wherein the first compartment wall is separated from the second extending wall by a compartment gap. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second housing has a hinge rotatably attached to the first housing. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second housing comprises a metal. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching a magnet to the outside of at least one of the first housing or the second housing. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising constantly clamping the cup to the lid by the food container when the first housing and the second housing are in the second configuration. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the clamping comprises applying pressure concurrently to the cup and the lid. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the cup has a cup sidewall, and wherein the first housing has housing sidewalls adjacent to the cup and wherein there is a gap between the cup sidewalls and the nearest housing sidewall, wherein the top exterior surface of the second housing is substantially perpendicular to the housing sidewalls of the first housing. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising laterally retaining the cup with retention elements, wherein the retention elements extend from a floor of the first housing and/or the second housing. 14. The method of claim 3, wherein the seal comprises an elastomer. 15. The method of claim 6, wherein the compartment gap has a compartment gap width of at least about 0.1 in. 16. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first housing or the second housing comprises a raised boundary, and wherein the magnet is surrounded by the raised boundary. 17. A method for containing food in a container comprising: closing a food container comprising a first housing; a second housing rotatably attached to the first housing, wherein the food container has a first configuration and a second configuration, and wherein in the second configuration the first housing is substantially closed upon the second housing; and a sub-container comprising a cup, a lid, and an elastomeric seal, wherein the cup has a cup sidewall, wherein the sub-container is removably positioned between the first housing and the second housing;wherein the first housing comprises a latch assembly comprising a wire clasp;wherein closing the food container comprises rotating the wire clasp, wherein rotating the wire clasp comprises exerting a clamping force by the wire clasp on a top exterior surface of the second housing; andwherein the exerting the clamping force comprises clamping the cup to the lid; andwherein the first housing has housing sidewalls adjacent to the cup, and wherein there is a gap between the cup sidewall and the nearest housing sidewall; andwherein the second housing has a first compartment and a second compartment, and wherein the first compartment is adjacent to the second compartment, and wherein the first compartment has a first compartment wall and the second compartment has a second compartment wall, and wherein the second compartment wall is adjacent to the first compartment wall and also separated from the first compartment wall by a compartment gap, and wherein the wire clasp exerts a clamping force simultaneously on the top exterior surface of the first compartment and the top exterior surface of the second compartment when the food container is in the second configuration. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein when the sub-container is in the container, the container exerts a clamping force on the sub-container when the container is in the second configuration, and the container exerts no clamping force on the sub-container when the container is the first configuration. 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising constantly clamping the cup to the lid by the food container when the first housing and the second housing are in the second configuration. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the clamping comprises applying pressure concurrently to the cup and the lid. 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the cup has a circular mouth. 22. The method of claim 17, further comprising laterally retaining the cup with retention elements, wherein the retention elements extend from a floor of the first housing and/or the second housing. 23. A method for containing food in a container comprising: closing a food container comprising a first housing; a second housing rotatably attached to the first housing, wherein the food container has a first configuration and a second configuration, and wherein in the second configuration the first housing is substantially closed upon the second housing; and a sub-container comprising a cup and a lid, wherein the sub-container is removably positioned between the first housing and the second housing; and a latch; andwherein the first housing comprises a latch assembly comprising a clasp;wherein closing the food container comprises rotating the clasp, wherein rotating the clasp comprises exerting a clamping force by the clasp on a top exterior surface of the second housing; andwherein the first housing has a first compartment and a second compartment, and wherein the first compartment is adjacent to the second compartment, and wherein the first compartment has a first compartment wall adjacent to the second compartment, and wherein the second compartment has a second compartment wall adjacent to the first compartment, and wherein the first compartment wall is separated from the second extending wall by a compartment gap; andwherein closing the food container further comprises clamping the cup to the lid in response to the clasp exerting the clamping force on the top exterior surface of the second housing; andwherein the cup has a circular mouth and a cup sidewall, and wherein the first housing has housing sidewalls adjacent to the cup and wherein there is a gap between the cup sidewall and the nearest housing sidewall, and wherein the top exterior surface of the second housing is substantially perpendicular to the housing sidewalls of the first housing. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second housing has a first container compartment and a second container compartment, and wherein the first container compartment is adjacent to the second container compartment, and wherein the first container compartment has a first container compartment wall and the second container compartment has a second container compartment wall, and wherein the second container compartment wall is adjacent to the first container compartment wall and also separated from the first container compartment wall by a container compartment gap, and wherein the clasp exerts a clamping force simultaneously on the top exterior surface of the first container compartment and the top exterior surface of the second container compartment when the food container is in the second configuration. 25. The method of claim 23, wherein when the sub-container is in the container, the container exerts a clamping force on the sub-container when the container is in the second configuration, and the container exerts no clamping force on the sub-container when the container is the first configuration. 26. The method of claim 23, further comprising constantly clamping the cup to the lid by the food container when the first housing and the second housing are in the second configuration. 27. The method of claim 23, wherein the clamping comprises applying pressure concurrently to the cup and the lid. 28. The method of claim 23, further comprising laterally retaining the cup with retention elements, wherein the retention elements extend from a floor of the first housing and/or the second housing.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (28)
Cohu Gary D. (P.O. Box 28252 Kansas City MO 64118), Case for storing, organizing and sorting small articles.
Clark Terry A. (Rochester NY) Warburton Richard T. (Canandaigua NY), Hinged-lid food container with sealable compartments employing front and side latching means.
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