Multiple compartment container

Abstract

The present invention provides a container suitable for the packaging and storage in separate compartments of at least two products, which need to be combined to prepare a ready-to-use product, such as a ready-to-eat food product. When the preparation of the ready-to-use product is desired, the container of the present invention allows to easily combine the contents of said compartments and to evacuate the combined products from the container through a closable opening without dislodging any one of the compartments from one another. In case the container is used to package and store components of a ready-to-eat food product, it is preferred that the design of the container allows for the practical consumption of the prepared ready-to-eat food directly from the container.

1 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A container for keeping contents in separate compartments before use comprising:
 an upper compartment for keeping a first content, said upper compartment being connected to a lower compartment for keeping a second content, whereby said upper compartment and lower compartment are separated from each other by an intercompartment membrane that is connected or adhered to a circumferential rim along the circumferential enclosure of the container, and wherein at least a moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment can be moved downwards relative to the lower compartment,   one or more upward blocking means for preventing an upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment relative to the lower compartment,   a piercing means comprising a circumferential piercing means wall with one or more sharp-edged structures at its bottom edge, said piercing means being mounted in the upper compartment above the intercompartment membrane and being statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, and   a closable opening within the enclosure of the upper compartment;   wherein said intercompartment membrane is mounted substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container;   wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment causes a downward movement of the piercing means such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall can pierce the intercompartment membrane along a partially circumferential piercing path, whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the circumferential rim along the circumferential enclosure of the container through a non-pierced segment of the membrane;   wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment causes the descent of at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, such that the pierced membrane can be folded downwards, thereby confining at least part of the pierced membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall and the inner side of the circumferential wall of the lower compartment;   wherein said upward blocking means, after piercing of the intercompartment membrane prevents the upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment relative to the lower compartment in order to maintain at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing;   wherein after piercing of the intercompartment membrane, the contents of the upper compartment and the lower compartment can be mixed within the interior space provided by the combined compartments and evacuated through said closable opening; and   wherein the design of said container incites the user, when evacuating the content of the container through said closable opening, to tilt the container in its assembled pierced state such that the midpoint of the non-pierced membrane segment is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, in order to minimize the interference of the pierced membrane with the flow of said content.   
     
     
         51 . The container according to  claim 50  wherein the centroid of said closable opening is eccentric in the transverse dimension with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall. 
     
     
         52 . The container according to  claim 50  further comprising a circumferential enclosure comprising at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments of which at least one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and at least one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment; and wherein the container comprises engaging guidance means mounted between said pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments for guiding said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment. 
     
     
         53 . The container according to  claim 50  wherein said upward blocking means prevents the upward movement relative to the lower compartment of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment in order to prevent the dislodging of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment. 
     
     
         54 . The container according to  claim 50  wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment causes the descent of a part of the circumferential piercing means wall that is adjacent to the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment is attached, below the plane of the intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, over a longitudinal distance from said plane corresponding to at least 2% of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall. 
     
     
         55 . The container according to  claim 50  wherein, in its assembled pierced state and upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, the angle between the longitudinal plane going through the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall and the centroid of the closable opening and the longitudinal plane going through the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall and the midpoint of the non-pierced membrane segment is between 135° and 225°. 
     
     
         56 . The container according to  claim 50  wherein the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall comprises a smooth-edged segment for providing said non-pierced membrane segment; wherein the bottom edge of said smooth-edged segment is smooth and blunt; wherein the bottom edge of said smooth-edged segment is positioned in the longitudinal dimension above the lowest point of any of the sharp-edged structures; wherein said bottom edge of said smooth-edged segment comprises an uninterrupted section encompassing more than 50% of said bottom edge that lies within a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing; and wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper-compartment wall causes the descent of the piercing means such that part of the bottom edge of the smooth-edged segment is situated below the plane of the lowest intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, at a longitudinal distance from said plane corresponding to at least 2% of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall. 
     
     
         57 . A container according to  claim 50  wherein the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall comprises three or more sharp-edged structures of which the lowest points are situated substantially along a virtual path that is sloped relative to the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing. 
     
     
         58 . A container according to  claim 52  further comprising dynamic sealing structures mounted between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments for minimizing the risk of leakage of liquids from the container and/or for minimizing the exchange of gases between the inside and the outside of the container, whereby one of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment. 
     
     
         59 . The container according to  claim 58  wherein said dynamic sealing structures and said guidance means are mounted between different pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments. 
     
     
         60 . A container according to  claim 52  wherein said guidance means are helical threaded screws or helical motion bearings and wherein said upward blocking means comprise:
 one or more flexible ratchet pawls, and 
 a plurality of longitudinally oriented ratchet teeth; 
 wherein said pawls are connected longitudinally to one of a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, of which one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment and wherein said plurality of longitudinally oriented ratchet teeth are connected to the other wall segment of said pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, such that upon helical downward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment said pawls can slide over said ratchet teeth, while upon movement in the upward direction, the ratchet pawl and ratchet teeth engage, leading to a substantial blocking of the upward movement. 
 
     
     
         61 . A container according to  claim 52  wherein said guidance means are helical threaded screws and wherein said upward blocking means are integrated between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, of which at least one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and at least one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, and wherein said upward blocking means comprise:
 an internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment of which the outer side comprises a recessed zone that is internal with respect to the virtual cylinder coinciding with the remainder of said overlapping parallel wall segment, 
 one or more external helical threads on the outer side of said internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment, whereby 
 
       said threads are interrupted within said internally recessed zone,
 a flexible ratchet pawl connected longitudinally to said internally recessed zone of the internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment, 
 one or more internal helical threads on the inner side of the externally positioned adjoining overlapping parallel wall segment, which can engage with said external helical threads, and whereby said internal helical threads comprise a plurality of equally sized ratchet teeth positioned at regular intervals, 
 wherein the ratchet pawl on the internally recessed zone of the internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment interacts with the ratchet teeth on the internal helical threads of the externally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment, such that upon movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment in a helical downward direction, the ratchet pawl slides over the ratchet teeth, while upon movement in a helical upward direction, the ratchet pawl and ratchet teeth engage, leading to a substantial blocking of the upward movement. 
 
     
     
         62 . A container according to  claim 50  wherein the enclosure of said container consists of:
 two members, which can be mounted on each other to provide the circumferential, bottom and top enclosure of the container, and 
 one or more closure means for closing said closable opening. 
 
     
     
         63 . A container according to  claim 62  wherein said members are produced by injection moulding. 
     
     
         64 . A container according to  claim 50  wherein, over at least a substantial longitudinal distance, the transverse cross sections through the circumferential enclosure of the upper compartment have only one circumferential wall.