Portable container separately containing two consumable products, and a dry consumable product, especially RTE cereal, for use therewith

Abstract

A portable, packaged consumable good article including a container, a volume of liquid consumable product and a dry consumable product. The container includes a first compartment, a second compartment, a first pour opening, and a second pour opening. The first and second compartments are connected to one another. The first pour opening is associated with the first compartment and facilitates restricted flow of a contained product therefrom. Similarly, the second pour opening is associated with the second compartment and facilitates restricted flow of a contained product therefrom. The volume of liquid consumable product is contained within the first compartment. Finally, the dry consumable product is contained within the second compartment. In this regard, the dry consumable product comprises a plurality of pieces. In one preferred embodiment, the pieces each have a maximum outer dimension not greater than 0.4 inch. In another preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of pieces has a density not less than 225 g/100 inch 3 . In a most preferred embodiment, the pieces are puffed cereal pieces that are substantially uniform, substantially spherical, having a diameter in the range of 0.2-0.25 inch and a density in the range of 225-375 g/100 inch 3 .

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A portable, packaged consumable good article comprising: 
 a container including: 
 a first compartment,  
 a second compartment connected to the first compartment,  
 a first pour opening associated with the first compartment for allowing restricted flow of a contained product therefrom,  
 a second pour opening associated with the second compartment for facilitating restricted flow of a contained product therefrom;  
   a liquid consumable product contained within the first compartment; and    a dry consumable product contained within the second compartment, the dry consumable product comprising a plurality of substantially uniform, substantially spherical pieces each having a diameter not greater than 0.4 inch and a density not less than 225 g/100 inch 3 ;    wherein the liquid consumable product is contained separate from the dry consumable product.    
     
     
         2 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 1 , wherein the pieces each have a diameter in the range of 0.2-0.4 inch.  
     
     
         3 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 1 , wherein the pieces each have a diameter in the range of 0.2-0.25 inch.  
     
     
         4 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 1 , wherein the pieces each have a density in the range of 225-375 g/100 inch 3 .  
     
     
         5 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 1 , wherein the dry consumable product is a ready-to-eat cereal.  
     
     
         6 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 5 , wherein the ready-to-eat cereal is a puffed cereal.  
     
     
         7 . A portable, packaged consumable good article comprising: 
 a container including: 
 a first compartment,  
 a second compartment connected to the first compartment,  
 a first pour opening associated with the first compartment for facilitating restricted flow of a contained product therefrom,  
 a second pour opening associated with the second compartment for facilitating restricted flow of a contained product therefrom;  
   a liquid consumable product contained within the first compartment; and    a dry consumable product contained within the second compartment, the dry consumable product comprised of a plurality of pieces each having a maximum outer dimension of less than 0.4 inch;    wherein the liquid consumable product is contained separate from the dry consumable product.    
     
     
         8 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 7 , wherein each of the pieces has a maximum outer dimension in the range of 0.2-0.4 inch.  
     
     
         9 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of pieces has a maximum outer dimension in the range of 0.2-0.25 inch.  
     
     
         10 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of pieces is substantially spherical.  
     
     
         11 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 7 , wherein each at the plurality of pieces has a density of not less than 225 g/100 inch 3 .  
     
     
         12 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of pieces has a density in the range of 225-375 g/100 inch 3 .  
     
     
         13 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pieces are puffed cereal pieces.  
     
     
         14 . A portable, packaged consumable good article comprising: 
 a container including: 
 a first compartment,  
 a second compartment connected to the first compartment,  
 a first pour opening associated with the first compartment for facilitating restricted flow of a contained product therefrom,  
 a second pour opening associated with the second compartment for facilitating restricted flow of a contained product therefrom;  
   a liquid consumable product contained within the first compartment; and    a dry consumable product contained within the second compartment, the dry consumable product comprised of a plurality of pieces each having a density of not less than 225 g/100 inch 3 ;    wherein the liquid consumable product is contained separate from the dry consumable product.    
     
     
         15 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 14 , wherein the pieces each have a density in the range of 225-375 g/100 inch 3 .  
     
     
         16 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 14 , wherein the pieces each have a maximum outer dimension not greater than 0.4 inch.  
     
     
         17 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of pieces each have a maximum outer dimension in the range of 0.2-0.4 inch.  
     
     
         18 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of pieces has a maximum outer dimension in the range of 0.2-0.25 inch.  
     
     
         19 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 14 , wherein each of the pieces are substantially spherical.  
     
     
         20 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of pieces is puffed cereal.  
     
     
         21 . A portable, packaged consumable good article comprising: 
 a container including: 
 a first compartment,  
 a second compartment connected to the first compartment,  
 a first pour opening associated with the first compartment for facilitating restricted flow of a contained product therefrom,  
 a second pour opening associated with the second compartment for facilitating restricted flow of a contained product therefrom;  
   a liquid consumable product contained within the first compartment; and    a dry consumable product contained within the second compartment, the dry consumable product comprised of a plurality of pieces that are substantially uniform in at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of a shape, size and density, the selected characteristic configured to promote substantially uniform, gravity-induced flow through the second pour opening;    wherein the liquid consumable product is contained separate from the dry consumable product.    
     
     
         22 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 21 , wherein each of the plurality of pieces is substantially spherical, having a diameter in the range of 0.2-0.4 inch and a density in the range of 225-375 g/100 inch 3 .  
     
     
         23 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 21 , wherein each of the plurality of pieces is puffed cereal.  
     
     
         24 . The packaged consumable good article of  claim 21 , wherein the second pour opening defines a transverse cross-sectional area, and each of the plurality of pieces define a maximum cross-sectional area, and further wherein the second pour opening transverse cross-sectional area is at least 2.5 times greater than the maximum cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of pieces.  
     
     
         25 . A ready-to-eat cereal for containment within, and dispensement from, a portable container including a storage compartment and a pour opening, the pour opening having a transverse, cross-sectional area less than a maximum transverse cross-sectional area of the storage compartment such that the pour opening allows restricted, gravity-induced flow from the storage compartment, the cereal comprising: 
 a plurality of substantially spherical cereal pieces each having a diameter in the range of 0.2-0.4 and a density in the range of 225-375 g/100 inch 3 .    
     
     
         26 . The cereal of  claim 25 , wherein each of the cereal pieces has a diameter in the range of 0.2-0.25 inch.  
     
     
         27 . The cereal of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of cereal pieces are puffed.  
     
     
         28 . A method of preparing an available, dry, flowable consumable product comprised of a plurality of pieces each having a diameter greater than 0.4 inch for containment within, and dispensement from, a portable container including a storage compartment and a pour opening, the pour opening having a transverse, cross-sectional area less than a maximum transverse, cross-sectional area of the storage compartment such that the pour opening allows restricted, gravity-induced flow of the dry consumable product from the storage compartment, the method comprising: 
 forming the plurality of pieces to each have a maximum outer dimension of not greater than 0.4 inch;    wherein an ingredient formulation otherwise associated with the available dry consumable product is not altered.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the pieces are formed to have a maximum outer dimension in the range of 0.2-0.25 inch.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the step forming the plurality of pieces includes forming the pieces to each have a density of not less than 225 g/100 inch 3 .  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the density is in the range of 225-375 g/100 inch 3 .  
     
     
         32 . A method of manufacturing a packaged consumable product article comprising: 
 providing a container including a first compartment, a second compartment connected to the first compartment, a first pour opening fluidly connected to the first compartment for facilitating restricted product flow therefrom, and a second pour opening fluidly connected to the second compartment for facilitating restricted product flow therefrom;    dispensing a volume of liquid consumable product into the first compartment;    providing a dry consumable product comprised of a plurality of pieces each having a maximum outer dimension of not more than 0.4 inch; and    dispensing a quantity of the pieces into the second compartment,    wherein the container separately contains the liquid and dry consumable products.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein each of the pieces has a maximum outer dimension in the range of 0.2-0.4 inch.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein each of the pieces has a maximum outer dimension in the range of 0.2-0.25 inch.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein each of the pieces has a density in the range of 225-375 g/100 inch 3 .  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of pieces are substantially uniform.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein each of the pieces is substantially spherical.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the dry consumable product is ready-to-eat cereal and the liquid consumable product is milk.  
     
     
         39 . A method of manufacturing a packaged consumable product article comprising: 
 providing a container including a first compartment, a second compartment connectable to the first compartment, a first pour opening fluidly connectable to the first compartment for facilitating restricted product flow therefrom, and a second pour opening fluidly connectable to the second compartment for facilitating restricted product flow therefrom;    dispensing a volume of liquid consumable product into the first compartment;    providing a dry consumable product comprised of a plurality of pieces each having a density of not less than 225 g/100 inch 3 ; and    dispensing a quantity of the pieces into the second compartment;    wherein the container separately contains the liquid and dry consumable products.    
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein providing a dry consumable product includes forming each of the pieces to have a density in the range of 225-0375 g/100 inch 3 .  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein providing a include forming the pieces to have a maximum outer dimension in the range of 0.2-0.4 inch.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein each of the pieces has a maximum outer dimension in the range of 0.2-0.25 inch.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein each of the pieces is substantially spherical.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the plurality of pieces are substantially uniform.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the dry consumable product is ready-to-eat cereal and the liquid consumable product is milk.