Bowl with malleable lip

Abstract

A bowl for serving food items includes a bowl bottom having at least one vertical sidewall extending therefrom. A malleable lip is disposed along an upper edge of the vertical sidewall. The lip transitioning between an open position wherein the lip is folded against the outside facing surface of the sidewall, and a closed position wherein the lip forms an overhang radiating toward the center portion of the bowl.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bowl, comprising:
 a bowl base having a center section and an outer periphery;   at least one sidewall having a bottom edge that is in communication with the outer periphery of the bowl base, said at least one sidewall having a generally orthogonal relationship with the bowl base; and   a lip having a first surface, a proximal end that is in communication with an upper edge of the at least one sidewall, a curved middle section and a lip edge, said lip including a malleable construction and functioning to transition between an open position and a closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the lip edge extends inward toward the center section of the bowl base, and the curved middle section and the first surface form an overhang when the lip is in the closed position. 
     
     
         3 . The bowl of  claim 2 , wherein a radial depth of the overhang is between approximately 0.25 inches and 2 inches. 
     
     
         4 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the lid is in a generally parallel orientation with the bowl base, when the lip is in the closed position. 
     
     
         5 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the lip is positioned at an angle of approximately 0 degrees relative to the upper edge of the at least one sidewall when the lip is in the closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the lip edge extends away from the center section of the bowl base when the lip is in the open position. 
     
     
         7 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the lid faces away from the center section of the bowl base when the lip is in the open position. 
     
     
         8 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the lip is positioned at an angle of approximately 180 degrees relative to the upper edge of the at least one sidewall when the lip is in the open position. 
     
     
         9 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the lip is constructed from an elastomeric material and functions to conform to a shape of the at least one sidewall when the lip is in the open position. 
     
     
         10 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the bowl base includes a generally planar construction. 
     
     
         11 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the center section of the bowl base includes a height that is greater than a height of the outer periphery of the bowl base. 
     
     
         12 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein the bowl base and the at least one sidewall are constructed from a material that is different than a construction material of the lip. 
     
     
         13 . The bowl of  claim 1 , wherein each of the bowl base, the at least one sidewall and the lip are constructed from a generally malleable construction material.