Storage and Cooking Vessel

Abstract

A storage and cooking vessel has a bowl and a lid. The bowl has an interior, and upper and lower ribs that protrude from an outer surface of the bowl adjacent to a top edge of the bowl. The upper rib is spaced apart from the lower rib by a fixed distance with a groove between the ribs. The lid is elastomer and has a downward extending flange having an inner surface and an outer surface. The flange has upper and lower ribs projecting outward from the inner surface with a groove between the ribs. The lid is connectable with the bowl in a first configuration where the lid upper rib is disposed within the groove between the bowl upper and lower ribs, and a second configuration where the lid upper rib is disposed above the bowl upper rib.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A storage and cooking vessel comprising:
 a bowl having an interior adapted and configured for containing a volume of foodstuffs, the bowl having an upper rib and lower rib, each of the ribs protruding from an outer surface of the bowl adjacent to a top edge of the bowl, the upper rib being spaced apart from the lower rib with a groove between the ribs; and   a lid comprised of an elastomeric material, said lid having a downward extending flange, the flange having an inner surface and an outer surface, the flange having an upper rib and a lower rib projecting away from the inner surface with a groove between the ribs, the lid being connectable with the bowl in a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration, the lower rib of the lid is disposed below the lower rib of the bowl and the upper rib of the lid is disposed in the groove between the upper and the lower ribs of the bowl; and wherein the second configuration, the upper rib of the lid is disposed above the upper rib of the bowl and the lower rib of the lid is disposed in the groove between the upper and the lower ribs of the bowl.   
     
     
         2 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein in the second configuration, the lower rib of the lid is disposed within the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl with an interference fit. 
     
     
         3 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein in the first configuration, the lower rib of the lid is disposed within the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl around an entirety of the lower rib of the lid. 
     
     
         4 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein in the second configuration, the lower rib of the lid is disposed within the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl around an entirety of the upper rib of the lid. 
     
     
         5 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein the lid includes at least one notch on the lower rib configured to form a passageway between the lower rib of the lid and the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl when the lid is in the second configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein the lower rib on the lid includes at least one breather valve formed on the lower rib of the lid, the valve being moveable between a closed state and an open state, wherein in the closed state with the lid in the second configuration, the breather valve makes contact between the lower rib of the lid and the groove between the upper and the lower ribs of the bowl, and wherein in the open state with the lid in the second configuration, the breather valve creates an opening between the lower rib of the lid and the groove between the upper and the lower ribs of the bowl. 
     
     
         7 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein the lid includes a backup rib extending into the interior of the bowl, the backup rib is configured to contact an inner edge of the bowl in the first configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein the lid includes at least one circumferential rib, the at least one circumferential rib has a cross sectional area smaller than a cross sectional area of the upper rib of the lid, the at least one circumferential rib is configured to contact an upper portion of the bowl adjacent an opening of the bowl in the first configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein the flange comprises at least one extension tab projecting outward from the flange. 
     
     
         10 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein:
 in the first configuration, the upper rib of the lid is disposed within the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl with a first interference fit; 
 in the second configuration, the lower rib of the lid is disposed within the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl with a second interference fit; and 
 the second interference fit is tighter than the first interference. 
 
     
     
         11 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the lid and the bowl is made from a platinum catalyst type silicone rubber. 
     
     
         12 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein the lid is made from a material having a Shore hardness of between about 70 and about 76 uncured on a Shore A durometer scale. 
     
     
         13 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein the lid is made from a material having a Shore hardness of between about 75 and about 81 cured on a Shore A durometer scale. 
     
     
         14 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein the bowl is made from a material having a Shore hardness of between about 72 and about 78 uncured on a Shore A durometer scale. 
     
     
         15 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein the bowl is made from a material having a Shore hardness of between about 77 and about 83 cured on a Shore A durometer scale. 
     
     
         16 . A storage and cooking vessel comprising:
 a bowl adapted and configured for containing a volume of foodstuffs, the bowl having a pair of circumferential ribs, each of the ribs projecting from an inner surface of the bowl adjacent to a top edge of the bowl defining an opening of the bowl, the ribs being parallel to each other and spaced apart with a groove between the ribs; and   a lid comprised of an elastomeric material, the lid having a downward extending flange, the flange having a pair of circumferential ribs raised on the outer surface of the flange, the ribs being parallel to each other and spaced apart with a groove between the ribs, the lid being connectable with the bowl in a first configuration and a second configuration;   wherein in the first configuration, the lower rib of the lid is disposed below the lower rib of the bowl and the upper rib of the lid is disposed in the groove between the upper and the lower ribs of the bowl; and wherein the second configuration, the upper rib of the lid is disposed above the upper rib of the bowl and the lower rib of the lid is disposed in the groove between the upper and the lower ribs of the bowl.   
     
     
         17 . The storage container of  claim 16  wherein in the second configuration, the lower rib of the lid is disposed within the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl with an interference fit. 
     
     
         18 . The storage container of  claim 16  wherein in the first configuration, the lower rib of the lid is disposed within the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl around an entirety of the lower rib of the lid. 
     
     
         19 . The storage container of  claim 16  wherein in the second configuration, the lower rib of the lid is disposed within the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl around an entirety of the upper rib of the lid. 
     
     
         20 . The storage container of  claim 16  wherein the lid includes at least one notch on the lower rib configured to form a passageway between the lower rib of the lid and the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl when the lid is in the second configuration. 
     
     
         21 . The storage container of  claim 16  wherein the lid further comprises a backup rib projecting radially outward from the lid, the backup rib is configured to extend over and contact an outer edge of the bowl adjacent to the opening of the bowl in the first configuration. 
     
     
         22 . The storage container of  claim 16  wherein the lid includes at least one circumferential rib, the at least one circumferential rib has a cross sectional area smaller than a cross sectional area of the upper rib of the lid, the at least one circumferential rib is configured to contact an upper portion of the bowl adjacent the opening of the bowl in the first configuration. 
     
     
         23 . The storage container of  claim 16  wherein the lid includes at least one extension tab. 
     
     
         24 . The storage container of  claim 16  wherein:
 in the first configuration, the upper rib of the lid is disposed within the groove between the upper and lower ribs of the bowl with a first interference fit; 
 in the second configuration, the lower rib of the lid is disposed within the groove between the upper and lower ribs with a second interference fit; and 
 the second interference fit is tighter than the first interference fit. 
 
     
     
         25 . The storage container of  claim 16  wherein at least one of the lid and the bowl is made from a platinum catalyst type silicone rubber. 
     
     
         26 . The storage container of  claim 25  wherein the lid is made from a material having a Shore hardness of between about 70 and about 76 uncured on a Shore A durometer scale. 
     
     
         27 . The storage container of  claim 25  wherein the lid is made from a material having a Shore hardness of between about 75 and about 81 cured on a Shore A durometer scale. 
     
     
         28 . The storage container of  claim 25  wherein the bowl is made from a material having a Shore hardness of between about 72 and about 78 uncured on a Shore A durometer scale. 
     
     
         29 . The storage container of  claim 25  wherein the bowl is made from a material having a Shore hardness of between about 77 and about 83 cured on a Shore A durometer scale.