Limited use-disposable salad container assembly

Abstract

A salad container assembly is disclosed including a base, a cover removably mounted on the base, and a sealed salad dressing insert for nesting within the cover having a flexible top, a salad dressing reservoir, an opening, a seal over the opening, and a puncturing mechanism capable of breaking the seal on application of sufficient pressure to the flexible top thereby allowing the contents of the reservoir to dispense into the base.

1 . A disposable fluid food product dispensing container assembly comprising: 
 a base having an upper rim edge;    a cover mounted removably on said upper edge of said base, said cover having an opening; and    a removably attachable, fluid containing insert package defining a sealed receptacle dimensioned to be inserted into and adapted to seat within said opening, said insert package including a deformable, flexible top, a reservoir, a dispensing opening allowing communication between said fluid reservoir and said base, a puncturable seal over said dispensing opening, a puncturing mechanism capable of breaking the seal upon application of sufficient pressure to said flexible top, for dispensing the content of the fluid reservoir into the base.    
   
   
       2 . A salad container assembly comprising: 
 a base having an upper rim edge,    a cover mounted removably on said upper edge of said base, said cover having an opening,    a salad dressing insert package defining a sealed receptacle dimensioned to be inserted into and adapted to seat within said opening, said insert package including a deformable, flexible top, a salad dressing reservoir, a dispensing opening allowing communication between said fluid reservoir and said base, a puncturable seal over said dispensing opening, a puncturing mechanism capable of breaking the seal upon application of sufficient pressure to said flexible top, for dispensing the content of the fluid reservoir into the base.    
   
   
       3 . The salad container assembly of  claim 2  wherein said puncturing mechanism includes an elongated shaft mounted on a dispensing disk disposed proximally to the seal where said mechanism is pivotable upon application of pressure to the deformable, flexible top.  
   
   
       4 . The salad container assembly of  claim 3  where the dispensing opening is a cylindrical neck and further including a collar disposed around neck and a hinge tab connecting the collar to the dispensing disk.  
   
   
       5 . The salad container assembly of  claim 4  where the hinge tab retains the dispensing disk and shaft from falling into said base.  
   
   
       6 . A sanitary, portion-packaged, fluid food product dispenser comprising a deformable container defining a fluid reservoir said container having a cylindrical neck defining a food dispensing opening, a puncturing mechanism mounted to said container proximate to said food dispensing opening and extending in part within said fluid reservoir, a puncturable seal for sealing said food dispensing opening, being puncturable by said puncturing mechanism upon deformation of the container and displacement of said puncturing mechanism.  
   
   
       7 . The food product dispenser of  claim 6  further comprising a robust cap for attaching to said cylindrical neck and covering said puncturable seal.  
   
   
       8 . The food product dispenser of  claim 7  wherein said puncturing mechanism includes an elongated shaft mounted on a dispensing disk disposed proximally to said seal wherein said mechanism is pivotable upon application of pressure to said deformable, flexible top.  
   
   
       9 . The food product dispenser of  claim 8  further including a collar disposed around said neck and a hinge tab connecting said collar to said dispensing disk.  
   
   
       10 . The food product dispenser of  claim 9  wherein said hinge tab retains said dispensing disk and shaft from falling into said base.  
   
   
       11 . A method for using a salad container assembly as recited in  claim 2 , comprising the steps of: 
 a) affixing the salad dressing insert package to said cover,    b) depressing said flexible top,    c) puncturing said seal, and    d) releasing the fluid.