Tidy Eats Lunch Sack

Abstract

The present invention keeps lunch sacks clean and tidy after many uses. It may comprise a thin, one-piece lunch sack liner, made from pliable, food-grade, and dishwasher-safe silicone. The liner can be inserted into a traditional stand-up lunch sack. Holes, hooks, or clips can be used to secure the liner in place. Foods and liquids can then be placed in the lunch sack, within the liner. If a spill occurs, the liner will contain the mess. The liner can be removed from the lunch sack and washed by hand or in a dishwasher. The silicone liner can be made in various shapes and sizes to accommodate most lunch sacks currently on the market. The exact specifications may vary upon manufacturing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/058,141 filed Oct. 1, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING

[0003] Not Applicable

COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

[0004] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] 1. Field of the Invention

[0006] The present invention relates to an easy to remove, unitary, reusable, waterproof internal liner for a lunch sack. The device fits into a lunch sack thereby creating a sanitary, easy-to-clean interior of the lunch sack.

[0007] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0008] Foods and liquids are prone to spilling within a lunch sack, ultimately creating a large mess. Left unattended, for even short amounts of time, these messes can lead to bacteria and mold forming along the base therein, as often times it is difficult to thoroughly clean the entire interior of lunch sacks. These formations can lead to unwanted, strong, pungent odors and cause users to dispose of their lunch pails. Some foods and liquids may even leak out of lunch sacks, bleeding through onto countertops, into backpacks, locker shelves, and other surfaces. This may force people to discard their lunch sack and replace it with a new one, leading to unnecessary and impractical expenses.

[0009] Currently, there are products on the market that attempt to address the problems associated with dirty lunch sacks. Some examples include U.S. Pat. No. 9,033,578 entitled Reusable food storage bag and process for making a reusable storage bag; U.S. Pat. No. 20110289958 entitled Platform insert for portable cooler; U.S. Pat. No. 7,313,928 entitled Insert for cooler; and U.S. D563,155 entitled Foldable Lunchbox Liner.

[0010] Although one such device provides a lunch bag liner, because it is foldable and not airtight, the outer lunch sack is still vulnerable to leaks. Hard liners can also lead to wear and tear on the outer lunch sack. Another device, such as a reusable food storage bag, is not large enough to contain the entire contents of a meal, which could include a drink cup in addition to sandwich and snack. Additionally, these devices do not provide a protective lunch bag liner that is composed of silicone or a similar material and that can be easily removed for cleaning. Therefore, a need exists for a reusable device that provides a user an easy-to-clean, sanitary, and removable, leak-proof liner to be used inside of a lunch sack.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Disclosed is an internal liner for a lunch sack. The device comprises a silicone, or other silicone-like material, liner and is substantially unitary. The present invention comprises a unitary silicone base and four walls extending upward therefrom, leaving the upper end open. The device can be inserted into a traditional insulated standup lunch sack. Hook, hole opening, and loop straps can be used to temporarily secure the liner to the exterior sack. The present invention prevents the growth of mold from occurring within the lunch pail. The device further prevents liquids placed within the liner to spill therefrom into the exterior sack. The present invention comprises a dishwasher-safe, food-grade, silicone or silicone-like material to prevent unsanitary conditions from forming. The device provides a sanitary, reusable, liner for traditional lunch sacks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of the Tidy Eats Lunch Sack.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the Tidy Eats Lunch Sack shown with optional holes for attachment to an exterior sack or cooler.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the Tidy Eats Lunch Sack showing the flexibility of the material.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the Tidy Eats Lunch Sack showing an optional loop for attachment to an exterior sack or cooler.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the Tidy Eats Lunch Sack showing an optional clip for attachment to an exterior sack or cooler.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the Tidy Eats Lunch Sack exhibiting an alternative option of size and shape.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the Tidy Eats Lunch Sack exhibiting an alternative option of size and shape shown with optional hole for attachment to an exterior sack or cooler.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the Tidy Eats Lunch Sack exhibiting an alternative option of size and shape shown with optional clip for attachment to an exterior sack or cooler.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the Tidy Eats Lunch Sack exhibiting an alternative option of size and shape shown with optional loop for attachment to an exterior sack or cooler.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a perspective front view of the Tidy Eats Lunch Sack placed inside a sack for use.

[0022] FIG. 11 is an overhead view of the present invention placed inside a sack for use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

[0023] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a front view of the present invention 30 displayed for illustrative and descriptive purposes. The present invention 30 comprises a front wall 2, side wall 1, side wall 4, and back wall 3, arising from the bottom wall 5. The present invention 30 comprises a unitary silicone material which surrounds the interior of a lunch sack. The device provides a lunch sack with a leak proof seal preventing liquids from escaping. The device fits into a lunch sack in order to create a sanitary, easy to clean interior of the lunch sack. The present invention 30 comprises a unitary piece, consisting of a base and four walls extending upward therefrom, leaving the upper end open. The walls will preferably extend to the top rim of the outer sack in order to contain liquid and food debris within.

[0024] Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 9, there are shown variations of the present invention 30.

[0025] FIG. 2 demonstrates an optional hole 6 on the front wall 2, and an optional hole 7 on the back wall 3, in which the present invention 30 could be temporarily secured to an outer sack.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a bend 9 in the side wall 4 of the present invention 30, demonstrating the flexible nature of the material of the present invention 30. Preferably, the material used will be a pliable, non-toxic, reusable, dishwasher safe material selected from the group consisting of a rubber-like or silicone-like material. It should be of a thickness sufficient to prevent easy tearing. The material used can be determined by those skilled in the art.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an optional loop 10 on the front wall 2. The loop may be placed on any wall of the invention 30 in order to temporarily secure the invention 30 to an outer sack.

[0028] FIG. 5 shows an optional clip 11 on the front wall 2. The clip may be placed on any wall of the invention 30 in order to temporarily secure the invention 30 to an outer sack. The attachment method can vary in order to fit a wide variety of available lunch sack selections. The actual placement and design of the clip, loop, or hole can be determined by those skilled in the art.

[0029] FIGS. 6 through 9 show the present invention 30 in a possible variation of shape and size in order to accommodate different sizes and shapes of outer sacks. The variation shows a front wall 2 and back wall 3, along with a bottom 5. The optional holes 6 and 7, used for attachment to an outer sack, are shown on the front wall 2 and back wall 3, respectively. The optional clip 11 is shown as attached to the present invention 30, which could be used to attach the invention 30 to an outer sack. The loop 10 is shown as an option of attachment to an outer sack.

[0030] FIG. 10 is a front view demonstrating how the present invention 30 is placed inside of a sack 19 for use. The optional hole 7, located on the back wall 3, is a possible attachment point to the outer sack 19.

[0031] FIG. 11 is an overhead view of the present invention 30 placed inside of a sack 19 for use.

[0032] The present invention prevents mold and bacteria buildup, thereby creating a sanitary interior of a lunch sack. The device keeps the lunch pail clean and prevents moisture build up within the fabric of the exterior lunch sack. The present invention can be designed to fit varying sized lunch pails. The device can be designed in varying textures for the user's preference. The device provides a sanitary and leak-proof attachment to a lunch sack. In this way, the present invention provides a sanitary, reusable, liner for traditional lunch sacks.

[0033] Thus, there has been shown and described, an internal liner for a lunch sack which fulfills all the advantages sought. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. A removable liner comprising: a. a unitary piece having a bottom surface and sides extending upwards from the bottom surface

2. The liner in claim 1 is pliable.

3. The liner in claim 1 is a non-toxic.

4. The liner in claim 1 is waterproof.

5. The liner in claim 1 is made of food-grade material.

6. The liner in claim 1 is made of rubber-like or silicone-like material.

7. The liner in claim 1 can contain holes, loops, or clips to attach to an outer sack.

8. The liner in claim 1 is dishwasher safe.

9. The liner in claim 1 is reusable.

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