Food container

Abstract

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.

We claim: 
     
         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; and   wherein closing the food container comprises clamping the cup to the lid by moving the first housing and the second housing into the second configuration, and   wherein opening the food container comprises unclamping the cup to the lid.   
     
     
         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 3 , wherein the seal comprises an elastomer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first housing has a latch, and wherein the latch exerts a closing force on the second housing when the food container is in the second configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the latch exerts a closing force when the food container is in the second configuration, the latch is rotatably attached to the first housing and pressed on a side of the second housing opposite the first housing. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         8 . 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. 
     
     
         9 . 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 separate from the second extending wall by a compartment gap. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the compartment gap has a compartment gap width of at least about 0.1 in. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second housing has a hinge rotatably attached to the first housing. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second housing comprises a metal. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising attaching a magnet to the outside of at least one of the first second or second housing. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first housing or second housing comprises a raised boundary, and wherein the magnet is surrounded by at least one of the raised boundaries. 
     
     
         15 . 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 sub-container is removably positioned between the first housing and the second housing; and   wherein closing the food container comprises clamping the cup to the lid by moving the first housing and the second housing into the second configuration.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , 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 separate from the second extending wall by a compartment gap. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , 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. 
     
     
         18 . 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; and   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 separate from the second extending wall by a compartment gap; and   wherein closing the food container comprises clamping the cup to the lid, and wherein clamping comprises moving the first housing and the second housing into the second configuration, and wherein clamping further comprises moving the latch to a position wherein the latch presses together the first housing and the second housing.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the compartment gap has a compartment gap width of at least about 0.1 in. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , 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.