CONTAINER WITH AUXILIARY POCKET

CONTENANT AVEC POCHETTE INCORPOREE

English Abstract

A container for holding a ready to eat food product is
provided with means on at least one of its surfaces for holding
an item associated with the consumption of said food product.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A container for holding a food product, said container
having at least a bottom panel, and side panels extending up
from said bottom panel to define a first container with a
hollow interior, wherein a second container including side
panels and a closed bottom edge is attached to the exterior
surface of said side panels, to define a space for the
packaging of an item other than said food product, without
impinging on the interior space of said first container.
2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container
is a bag.
3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second
container is a bag, attached to a side panel of said first
container.
4. A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second
container is of lesser capacity than said first container.
5. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first
container is of a capacity selected for use of said first
container as a single serving popcorn bag.
6. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second
container is of a capacity selected for use of said second
container as a bag for a second food product.

7. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second
container is of a capacity selected for use of said second
container as a bag for holding a toothpick, napkin, or other
utensil or similar item associated with consumption of a food
product.

Description

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The present invention relates to the field of containers,
particularly to the field of containers for ready to eat food
products. In a desirable embodiment, the present invention
provides a novel popcorn bag for use in cinemas, the bag being
provided with a pocket for holding a toothpick, a napkin, or
other useful accoutrements.
A popular snack which is sold at virtually every cinema or
movie house is popcorn. It is sold usually in a paper bag, but
sometimes in a light cardboard box. These containers, by virtue
of the nature of popcorn, tend to be rather bulky, so that if one
is carrying something else as well, such as a soft drink, one
will not have a free hand. This in turn makes it difficult to
pick a napkin from a dispenser for same and carry it. Moreover,
an annoyance when eating popcorn is that bits of hull and so on
tend to become lodged between one's teeth, and serve as a
distraction during the movie.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a
container for holding a serving of popcorn, said container being
produced with a pocket or pockets on its outer surface to hold
a napkin, a toothpick, or any other desired item.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide
a container for a selected food product, the container being
provided with one or more pockets on its inner or outer surfaces
f or carrying one or more other obj ects . Such obj ects may include
condiments for the food items, disposable utensils, promotional
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material, napkins, or any other item one may wish to provide
to the consumer.
In a broad aspect, the present invention relates to a
container for holding a food product, said container having
at least a bottom panel, and side panels extending up from
said bottom panel to define a first container with a hollow
interior, wherein a second container including side panels and
a closed bottom edge is attached to the exterior surface of
said side panels, to define a space for the packaging of an
item other than said food product, without impinging on the
interior space of said first container.
In drawings that illustrate the present invention by way
of example:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a popcorn bag embodying
the present invention provided with a single pocket for
holding a confection;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a popcorn bag embodying
the present invention, provided with a single pocket for
holding a toothpick;
2o Figure 3 is a perspective view of a single serving food
bag provided with a pocket on its inner surface, for holding
a toothpick; and
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a single serving food
bag provided with a large pocket for holding promotional
material.
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Referring now to the drawings, a paper bag such as a
popcorn bag 1 is provided with a pocket 2, preferably but not
necessarily, along its upper edge. Pocket 2 is made from a
rectangular piece of paper, adhesively affixed along its side
and bottom edges to the outer surface of the bag 1. The top
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the paper pocket is open, thereby forming a pocket, into which
may be inserted a toothpick 4 or confection 3. Toothpick 4, for
hygienic purposes, ought to be itself sealed in a small
cellophane or paper wrapper 5. As will be seen from Figure 2,
the top edge of the pocket 2 is preferably slightly below the top
edge of the bag 1, and the toothpick 4 projects into the space
between the top edges of the pocket 2 and bag 1. For packing and
shipping purposes, it should not extend beyond the top edge of
the bag 1.
Combining the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, a second
pocket may also be provided on a bag, for instance on the
opposite surface, constructed in the same manner as the first,
for holding a napkin, a pre-moistened hand wipe, additional
popcorn seasoning, or any other desired object, so long as it is
relatively flat. It will be understood that first and second
pockets will be constructed from two separate pieces of paper.
Alternatively, one or both of the pockets may be a pre-formed
envelope that is subsequently adhesively affixed to the
container.
Alternative embodiments of the present invention are
illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.
In Figure 4, there is shown an embodiment wherein a very
wide and deep pocket 6 is provided, which may extend the entire
width of the container. Such a wide and deep pocket is
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especially useful for holding promotional items such as coupons,
schedules of upcoming events, and so on.
In Figure 3, there is illustrated an embodiment of the
present invention that provides a pocket 7 on the inner surface
of a bag. Placement of a pocket in this location leaves the side
panels of the bag free to hold such advertising or design
material as may be desired.
In another embodiment ( not illustrated ) an embodiment of the
present invention is provided with a pocket having a closable
upper flap. This embodiment is particularly applicable to
packaging that is designed for "take-out", rather than immediate
consumption. That is, with a closable flap, there is less
likelihood that the contents of the pocket will be accidentally
lost.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a pre-
sealed envelope containing, for instance, a moist towellette is
provided directly on bag 1. This embodiment finds application
is ready-to-eat snacks such as popcorn which may leave an oily
residue on the hands. The envelope may be attached adhesively
or mechanically by any suitable means (e. g. staples).
It will be understood from the foregoing description of the
present invention that the exact placement and contents of the
auxiliary pocket or pockets on a container will be a matter of
choice for the ultimate user. That is, it is expected that,
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without departing from the present invention, one may custom
order virtually any pocket placement or contents - or the user
may insert the contents. Moreover, the present invention is not
limited to pockets on bags, whether sealed or open. The present
invention extends fully to boxes, cans or any other appropriate
container.
It is therefore to be understood that the examples described
above are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.
It is expected that numerous variants will be obvious to the
person skilled in the field of container design, without any
departure from the spirit of the present invention. The appended
claims, properly construed, form the only limitation upon the
scope of the present invention.
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Representative Drawing