Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02784283 2012-07-25
CONTAINER
Description
This invention relates to a container, made out of a sheet material such as
corrugated cardboard.
The invention has been devised for use a food container, particularly a so-
called
pizza box, commonly used by fast-food establishments for containing ready to
eat pizza for consumption off the premises. Although it will be understood
that
the invention may be applicable to containers intended for purposes other than
receiving pizzas, the term "pizza box" will be used herein for convenience in
describing the invention. Conventional pizza boxes, whose configuration has
changed little for many years, are made out of a suitable paper-based board
material in order to be bio-degradable, and are supplied to pizza vendors in
the
form of fiat pieces of such material, cut to the required shape and pre-formed
with lines along which the material is readily foldable. When the container is
required to be used, it is readily erected by folding along the pre-formed
lines to
create a box which is usually square or rectangular in plan view of dimensions
suitable to accommodate a respective diameter of pizza, and of a height
sufficient to accommodate the thickness of the pizza. The box, as erected, has
a
base portion the form of a tray, with front, rear and side walls upstanding
from a
base panel, and a lid or cover which opens pivotally to give access to the
interior
of the box. A pizza can be placed downwardly into the erected base portion; if
one were to be placed on the base panel with the base portion of the box not
erected it would impede the erection process of the base portion.
Pizza boxes are intended for a single use only, after which they are discarded
as
refuse or for recycling. Clearly, it is advantageous if the amount of
cardboard
used in each box is minimised: even a small saving in cardboard usage becomes
significant when multiplied by the number of boxes used throughout the world.
Other desirable characteristics of pizza boxes are that they should be easy to
erect from the flat condition and to collapse for disposal after use, while
being
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robust and resistant to accidental collapse when erected so that a pizza
contained in the box is adequately protected.
It is broadly the object of the present invention to address these desirable
aspects of pizza box construction and disadvantages of conventional pizza
boxes.
According to one aspect of the invention, we provide a collapsible container
made from sheet material, comprising a cover portion and a base portion; the
cover portion and base portion each being pivotally connected at respective
spaced fold lines to a rear wall portion, wherein each of the cover portion
and
base portion comprises a main panel having, at its edge remote from the rear
wall portion, a front wall and, at its opposite side edges, side walls;
wherein the
side and front walls portions of the cover portion interfit with one another
to retain
them in position extending generally perpendicular to the panel of the cover
portion; and the side and front walls of the base portion are able to lie
within
inwardly facing surfaces of the side and front walls of the cover portion.
In a container, particularly a pizza box, in accordance with the invention,
the
above-described construction, with the cover portion having its side and front
walls interfitting so that they are retained in the orientation generally
perpendicular to the panel of the cover portion, means that the base portion
of
the container can, after the cover portion of the box has been erected, remain
flat
so that a pizza can be placed thereon and, if required, cut into portions. A
pizza
can be slid sideways, if desired, onto the base portion of the box rather than
having to be placed downwardly into the base portion of a conventional box. If
desired, the cover portion of the box could be erected after a pizza has been
placed on the base portion, since such erection is not impeded by the presence
of the pizza. Thereafter the side and front walls of the base portion can be
folded
upwardly from the panel of the base portion to extend generally perpendicular
to
the panel of the base portion, and be retained in that position by closing of
the
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cover portion so that they are constrained by lying within the side and front
walls
of the cover portion.
In view of the above, it will be noted that pizza boxes awaiting use can be
stored
flat, i.e. need not be pre-erected before they are used. This is convenient in
saving time and space in a pizza vendor's premises.
The side walls of the cover portion may be provided, at their free end
adjacent
the front wall of the cover portion, with tabs which engage the front wall,
preferably by being folded to extend generally at right angles to the side
walls
and which are constrained between surfaces of respective parts of the front
wall
which have been folded to overlie one another.
The respective parts of the front wall may be retained in their overlying
position
by formations on one part of the front wall, engaging in receiving formations
where the other part of the front wall meets the panel of the cover portion.
Prior to the folding of the front wall so that its one portion overlies the
other, the
dimension of the front wall may be substantially that of the height of the
side
walls of the cover portion (and hence that of the side and front walls of the
base
portion).
At least one of the cover and base portions may have at least its panel
provided
with a surface relief extending between opposite portions of the panel to
facilitate
folding of the panel along such relief, to reduce the size of the container
for
disposal after use.
There may be first and second surface reliefs extending along respective axes
running between opposed portions of the panel and through a central region of
the panel, the axes extending generally perpendicular to one another.
Such relief or reliefs may extend from the panel into the connected wall
portions
of the container at the edges thereof.
These and other features of the invention will now be described by way of
example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
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Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for erection into a pizza box in accordance
with
the invention;
Figures 2 to 8 are perspective views showing successive stages of erection of
the blank of figure 1 into a pizza box, and the subsequent collapse and
folding of
the pizza box for disposal.
Referring firstly to figure 1 of the drawings, the blank comprises a piece of
corrugated cardboard which overall is generally of rectangular shape. It is
provided with a number of cut lines (where the corrugated cardboard is
completely severed) and fold lines (where the corrugated cardboard is
alternately
creased and cut through, e.g. 10mm crease followed by 10mm cut, successively,
along the length of the line). There are also some fold lines where the board
is
creased slightly to guide and facilitate folding, but somewhat less easily
than
where the crease/cut fold lines are provided. The corrugated cardboard is of
the
type having first and second parallel surface layers separated by a corrugated
layer or flute, and in figure 1 of the drawing, the preferred longitudinal
direction of
the corrugations of the flute is as indicated alongside the drawing. The flute
may
be of the "E" flute type, providing the corrugated cardboard with an overall
thickness of approximately 2mm.
The blank, illustrated generally at 10 comprises two main portions 12, 14
which
respectively form a cover portion of the box and a base portion of the box.
They
are connected to one another, along fold lines 16, 18 which are parallel to
one
another, by a portion 20 which forms an upstanding rear wall of the erected
box,
the two fold lines 16, 18 providing for generally pivotal movement of the
cover
portion of the box relative to the base portion about two parallel axes
afforded by
the fold lines 16, 18. This enables the main panels (described hereafter) of
the
cover portion and base portion of the erected box to lie in spaced parallel
relation
to one another.
The cover portion 12 of the blank comprises a main substantially rectangular
panel 24 along whose opposite sides are provided, in mirror image of one
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another, flaps 22 delineated by respective fold lines 26. These form side
walls of
the cover portion of the erected box. At the ends of the flaps 22 remote from
the
fold line 16, there are respective tabs 28 of which each comprises a
transition
portion 28a leading into an engagement portion 28b which is of slightly less
than
half the lateral dimension of the main part of the flap 22.
Between the tabs 28, the end of the panel 24 remote from the fold line 16 is
provided with a flap indicated generally at 30 connected to the panel 24 along
a
fold line 32 which is interrupted by two completely cut portions 34 which are
slightly off-set towards the fold line 16. The flap itself, which forms the
front wall
of the erected box, comprises two parts 36, 38 of which the former has its
ends
tapered, leading into the part 38 which hence has its ends spaced from the
tabs
28 in the flat blank. The parts 36, 38 are connected to one another by two
closely spaced parallel fold lines 40. The free edge of the part 38 has two
projecting elongate tabs 42 spaced along it, in alignment with the off-set cut
line
portions 34.
The base portion 14 of the blank has a main panel 44 of the same dimensions as
the main panel 24 of the cover portion 12. Along opposite sides of the panel
44
there are respective flaps 46 delineated by fold lines 48. Connected at the
ends
of the flaps 46 which lie nearest the flaps 22 there are respective tabs 50
which
are connected to the flaps 46 along respective crease lines 52 and are
separated
from the flaps 22 and wall portion 20 by cut lines. The outer edges of the
tabs
50, facing oppositely away from one another in the flat blank, each have two
converging inwardly extending cut lines 54.
The edge of panel 44 remote from the fold line 18 is provided with a flap 56
delineated by fold line 58. At the opposite ends of the flap 56, there are
respective tabs 60 connected to the flap by crease lines 62 and completely
separated by cut lines from the flaps 46.
The above described features of the blank enable it to be erected for use as a
pizza box, in the manner described hereafter. The box is also provided with
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features, as follows, which facilitate its folding to a significantly smaller
size to
facilitate its disposal after use. It will be appreciated that a large pizza,
e.g. of
300mm diameter, necessitates a box whose dimensions when erected are
greater than can readily be accommodated in a typical waste bin likely to be
provided in the home.
Each of the panels 24, 44 has a crease line 66, 68 respectively extending
transversely across it, these crease lines extending into the respective side
flaps
22, 46. Two parallel fold lines 70 extend from the crease line 66 towards the
wall
portion 20, followed by two parallel, more closely-spaced, fold lines 72
extending
across the wall portion 20 towards the crease line 68. Beyond the crease line
68
and generally in line with the fold lines 70, 72 a crease line 74 extends into
the
flap 56.
Further features of the blank for the pizza box are that the fold line 16 has
a
central portion 76 which is cut right through and off-set from the fold line
16. The
purpose of this is to provide, when the box is erected as described hereafter,
a
vent for the interior of the box since it will be appreciated that when the
panel 24
extends at right angles to the wall portion 20 the shallow tab formed by the
cut
portion 76 will extend in alignment with the panel 54 and open space between
it
and the wall portion 20. The panel 44 is provided with a number of radial
markings 78 to give a guide for cutting of a pizza into sector-shaped
portions.
Finally, the panel 24 is provided with cut and fold line formations 80 which
provide for the holding of portions of sauces, etc.
Referring now to figures 2 to 4 of the drawings, these show successive stages
of
erection of the blank into a pizza box. Figure 2 shows the blank ready for
26 erection, with its peripheral tabs and flaps slightly displaced from the
general
plane of the remainder of the blank. The first stage of erection is that the
cover is
constructed, by folding the flaps 22 upwardly from the opposite edges of the
panel 24 until they lie approximately at right angles to the plane of the
panel 24,
and the tabs 28 at the ends of the flaps 22 are folded towards one another so
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that they are in alignment with the fold line 32. The portion 30 is then
folded
upwardly about the fold line 32 so that the parts 28b of the tabs 28 are in
face to
face relationship with the part 36 of the portion 30. Then, the part 38 is
folded
over, about the fold lines 40, so that it lies in face to face engagement with
the
part 36, with the parts 28b of the tabs trapped between the opposed surfaces
of
the parts 36, 38 at the ends of the portion 30. In this condition, the tabs 42
engage in slots formed by the offset cut parts 34 interrupting the fold line
32,
when the part 36 is folded upwardly relative to the panel 24. Hence, the part
30
forms a double-thickness end wall of the cover portion of the box, while the
flaps
22 form side walls of the cover portion of the box, the end wall of the cover
portion being of half the height of the side walls.
After erection of the cover portion of the box, a pizza to be put in the box
may
then be placed on the upper surface of the base portion panel 44 of the box.
The
pizza may be cut in situ on the box, such cutting being guided, if desired, by
the
markings 78 on the base portion of the box. This may be done before the flaps
which form the side and end walls of the base of the box are folded upwardly
relative to the panel 44, so that upwardly extending side and end walls of the
base do not impede the cutting operation of the pizza, significantly easing
this
operation compared with previously-known pizza boxes.
Subsequently, (figure 4) the flaps 46 and 56 may be folded upwardly from the
panel 24, the tabs 60 at the ends of flap 56 lying within and face to face
with the
adjacent end portions of the flaps 46 forming the side walls of the base. The
box
may be closed by pivoting the cover portion of the box about the fold lines
16, 18
so that its cover panel 24 lies above the base panel 44, spaced therefrom by
the
height of the side walls of the base determined by the flaps 46 and 56. The
flaps
22 forming the side walls of the cover, and the end wall of the cover formed
by
portion 30, lie to the exterior of the respective side and end walls of the
base.
The closed box is shown in figure 5.
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After use of the pizza box, the box may be reduced to a smaller and more
convenient size for disposal, firstly by opening out all the parts of the box
so that
the form of a generally flat piece of cardboard is again assumed (although it
will
be appreciated that the folding of the original blank to the form of the box
will
mean that the cardboard will not naturally assume a completely flat
configuration.
Figure 6 shows that the cover panel 24 has been folded about the crease line
66,
and figure 7 shows that subsequently the base panel 44 has been folded about
the crease line 68. The cover portion and base portion of the box can now be
folded towards one another as shown by the arrows on figure 7, about the fold
line 18, so that the original blank is reduced to approximately one quarter of
its
original length, comprising four thicknesses of the cardboard material of the
blank. The fold lines 70, 72, and 74 overlie one another in this folded
configuration, to enable the dismantled box to be folded again about the fold
lines
70, 72, 74 to reduce it to slightly more than one quarter of the size of the
closed
pizza box. Figure 8 shows this finally-folded condition being approached, and
in
the final condition the tabs 50 lie adjacent an approximately face-to-face
with one
another. In this state, the small dove-tail shaped piece of cardboard defined
between the cut lines 54 in one of the tabs 50 may be folded out of the tab
and
engaged in the dove-tail shaped opening provided by displacing the
corresponding piece of cardboard in the other tab from the plane of this tab.
Hence, the folded pizza box is retained in nearly-flat folded configuration,
for
easy disposal.
When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and
"comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or
integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the
presence of other features, steps or components.
The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims,
or the
accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a
means
for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining
the
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disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of
such
features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.
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