Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Backqround of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the art of
food packaging and more particularly to a container for packaging,
storing and heating food.
Containers of the type disclosed herein are well known
in the art. They are low in cost, disposable and adapted to be
used in the preparation of food, particularly with the use of a
mlcrowave oven.
Examples of containers substantially as disclosed herein
are shown in U.S. Patents No. 3,829,004 to Graser, August 13,
1974; 4,183,458 to Meyers, January 15, 1980; and 4,312,451 to
Forbes, Jr., January 26, 1982. The container of the present
invention represents an improvement over the prior art containers.
Summary of Invention
According to the present invention, a container is
disclosed for the packaging, storing and heating of food which
finds particular utility in microwave cooking. The invention
comprises a container with an integral, removable lid. The
container is preferably constructed from a thermally stable
paperboard material that is generally referred to as ovenable
paperboard. For this purpose, the paperboard is coated on at
least one side with a heat sealable thermoplastic material, for
example, a polyester material such as polyethylene terephthalate.
The container comprises a tray and integral lid. The
tray includes a base panel of generally rectangular shape and a
plurality of upstanding side walls comprising at least two side
walls, a front wall and a rear wall. The upstanding side walls
may extend perpendicularly from the base panel, or two o ~ ore may
be angularly related to the
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bottom panel to achieve a stacking capability. Preferably,
the front and rear walls are perpendicular to the base panel
and the side walls are angularly related to the base panel
for display purposes. The side walls are interconnected at
each corner by corner closures in the form of overlapping
gusset panels which are bonded to the adjacent side walls to
achieve a leak proof tray. This construction provides an
interior with no exposed raw edges when the container is
prepared from a single blank of paperboard or the like.
Each of the opposed side walls further include extensions
which are foldably attached to the upper edges thereof to
provide side wall flanges at each side of the container. At
least one gusset panel at each corner also includes an upper
extension which is bonded to the lower surface of the side
wall flange attached to its adjacent side wall. In
addition, an integral cover or lid is foldably attached to
the upper edge of the rear wall for closing the container.
The lid panel is sized so as to overlap and be bonded or
preferably heat-sealed to the side wall flanges when the
container is closed after filling. Moreover, a front
closure flap is foldably attached to the leading edge of the
lid panel which overlaps and is bonded to the front wall of
the container to complete the closure of the container. In
order to open the container, the front closure flap is
provided with a tear strip or the like, and the sides of the
lid overlapping the side wall flanges are provided with
inner and outer partial depth microcut lines offset from one
another to produce an area of delamination therebetween.
The microcuts weaken the paperboard in the area between
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their application which permits the paperboard in that area
to delaminate easily when the lid is lifted. The
delamination of the paperboard leaves a portion of the
lid still attached to the side wall flanges to further
strengthen the container and still allow the user to open
the container without undue effort. In the instance where
it is desired to remove the lid completely from the con-
tainer, a line of perforation may be included along the fold
line connecting the lid to the rear wall. Finally, a dust
flap may also be added to the upper edge of the front wall
for the purpose of protecting the contents o the container
during closing, and for protecting against inadvertent
spills after the container is opened.
Accordingly it may be seen that the present inven-
tion provides a unique container that is readily filled and
sealed and which may be opened for use in preparing food
products.
Brief Description of Drawing
Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for con-
structing the container of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sealed con-
tainer made from the blank of Figure l; and,
Figure 3 is a perspective view of an opened con-
tainer.
Detailed Description
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 wherein there is shown a tray
having an integral lid 11. The tray is illustrated as
having a substantially rectangular base 15, however the
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shape could be of any different polygonal form having multi-
ple sides. A plurality of upstanding side walls 13, 17, 31
and 33 are shown foldably connected to the base panel 15 and
each of the side walls 31 and 33 also include flange exten-
sions 35 and 36 foldably attached to the upper edges thereof
that are disposed in a plane substantially parallel to that
of base panel 15. In the preferred embodiment of the
present invention, the front and rear walls 17, 13 are
perpendicular to the base panel 15 and the two side walls
31, 33 are angularly disposed slightly outwardly with
respect to the base panel. Although all of the side walls
could be arranged perpendicular to the base panel 15, the
perpendicularly disposed front and rear walls 17, 13 permit
the trays to be displayed with the top showing. The use of
angularly disposed side walls permit the trays to be nested
after being formed for storage in a m;n;mum amount of space.
Referring particularly to FIG. 1, it will be seen
that the flange extensions 35, 36 are foldably connected to
the side walls 31, 33 along score lines 32, 34 respectively.
Meanwhile the side walls 31, 33 and front and rear walls 17,
13 are connected to one another by gusset panels 22, 23, 24
and ~5. Each gusset panel set includes a panel 26 connected
to a front or rear wall. The individual gusset panels 26,
27 at each corner are connected to one another along a
diagonal score line 29, and each panel 27 includes a flange
extension 28 foldably attached thereto along a score line
30. The blank 10 also includes a dust flap 19 foldably at-
tached to the front wall 17 along a score line 18.
At the upper end of the blank of FIG. 1, the lid
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portion 11 is provided with extended areas 45, 46 at each
side edge thereof for overlapping the flange extensions of
the tray portion, and a front closure flap comprising panels
42 and 43 separated from one another by a single line of
tear 44 and foldably attached to the lid along a score line
41. In addition, the lid 11 is provided with microcuts 37,
38 and 39, 40 located on the inner and outer surfaces of the
lid inboard of the extended areas 45, 46 of the lid to pro-
vide a delaminatable opening for the lid.
When the container is formed, the gusset corners
22, 23, 24 and 25 are folded from the front and rear toward
the side walls 31, 33 with panels 26 lying adjacent to the
side walls. This folding sequence brings the panels 27 to
the outside so that the flange extensions 28 become located
beneath the side wall flange extensions 35, 36 where they
can be bonded together with heat or adhesive, or both. The
dust flap 19 is ~olded inside the container so that at this
point, a fully set up tray is produced which is leakproof
and which has no raw edges exposed to the contents. The lid
11 is of sufficient size so that the extended areas 45, 46
overlap the flange extensions 28, 35 and 36 where they are
bonded in the region outside the microcuts 37, 38 and 39,
40. At the same time the portions 42 and 43 of the front
closure flap are folded over and into contact with the front
wall 17 where the portion 42 of the closure flap is bonded
to the front wall.
FIG. 3 illustrates the open condition of the con-
tainer. The first step in opening the container requires
that the portions 42 and 43 of the front closure be
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separated along the single line of tear 44. This step frees
the front part of the lid 11 for venting the container while
portion 42 of the front closure remains attached to the
front wall 17. Further opening of the container is achieved
by lifting the lid 11. This action causes the paperboard in
the region between the inner and outer microcuts 37, 38 and
39, 40 to delaminate leaving delamination areas 49 and 50
attached to the tray, and 47, 48 on the lid. At this point,
the front wall dust flap 19 prevents inadvertent spillage of
the contents at the front of the tray and the increased
thickness of the side wall extensions 35, 36 which now
include the portions 45, 46 of the lid gives the tray
increased rigidity. Where it is desired to remove the lid
entirely from the tray, the score line 12 separating the lid
11 from the rear wall 13 may be perforated to convert it
into a line of tear.
It will thus be seen that there has been described
herein a new and improved food package as well as a one
piece blank for making the same. The food package of the
present invention is particularly useful for preparing
cooked foods in a microwave oven as well as for storing the
food prior to cooking. In one possible method for using the
container disclosed herein, the food itself is encased in a
plastic pouch or the like and packaged in the container.
When it is desired to cook the food, the pouch is opened and
the contents thereof emptied into the container for cooking.
Thus, even though the invention has been described in
connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be under-
stood that it is intended to cover all alternative modifi-
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cations and equivalents as may be encompassed by the spiritand scope of the invention as defined in the appended
claims.
