Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02676642 2009-09-09
FOOD CONTAINER
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This document relates to food containers.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Conventional food containers for food items such as burgers have a lid
or flap
for a user to manually flip open to access the food item. A user may then
entirely remove the
food item from the container for consumption. In some cases a user may also
manually pull
out a portion of the food item, and then consume the portion while holding the
rest of the
food item in the container.
SUMMARY
[0003] A sandwich container is disclosed comprising: a housing having a base,
a rear
wall, a top wall, and sidewalls, the housing being at least partially enclosed
and defining an
interior for containment of a sandwich, the housing defining a dispensing end
of the
sandwich container; a push tab, formed in one or both of the base and the rear
wall of the
housing, adapted to hinge from a base end of the push tab into the housing
toward the
dispensing end for manual advancement, in operation, of the sandwich from the
rear wall
towards the dispensing end.
[0004] A food container is also disclosed comprising: a housing having a base,
a rear
wall, a top wall, sidewalls, and a front flap, the housing being enclosed and
defining an
interior for containment of a food item, the front flap adapted to enclose a
dispensing end
defined by the housing; a push tab, formed in one or both of the base and rear
wall of the
housing, adapted to hinge from a base end of the push tab into the housing
toward the
dispensing end for manual advancement, in operation, of the food item from the
rear wall
towards the dispensing end in order to contact and open the front flap.
[0005] These and other aspects of the device and method are set out in the
claims,
which are incorporated here by reference.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0006] Embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures, in
which
like reference characters denote like elements, by way of example, and in
which:
[0007] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a food container.
[0008] Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the food container of Fig. 1 with
the front
flap open.
[0009] Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the rear wall of the food
container of Fig. 1
gripped by a user's fingers.
[0010] Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of the food container of Fig. 1
gripped by a
user's fingers with the front flap open to illustrate the interior of the food
container.
[0011] Figs. 5A-5E are side elevation views that illustrate the operation of
the push
flap in manually advancing a sandwich out of the food container.
[0012] Fig. 6 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of a push tab used
with a
food container.
[0013] Fig. 7 is a blank of material configured to construct the food
container of Fig.
1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Immaterial modifications may be made to the embodiments described here
without departing from what is covered by the claims.
[0015] Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a food container, for example a sandwich
container
10, is illustrated comprising a housing 12 and a push tab 14. Referring to
Figs. 3 and 4,
housing 12 has at least a base 16, a rear wall 18, a top wall 20, and
sidewalls 22 and 24.
Referring to Figs. 4 and 5A, housing 12 is at least partially enclosed and
defines an interior
26 for containment of a food item, such as a sandwich 28 (shown in Fig. 5A).
Referring to
Fig. 5B, housing 12 also defines a dispensing end 30 of the food container 10.
Food
container 10 may be used for containing items of food, such as a sandwich,
burger as shown,
bagel, donut, panini sandwich, philly cheesesteak sandwich, wrap, submarine
sandwich,
quesadilla, and other suitable containable food items.
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[0016] Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, push tab 14 is formed in one or both of the
base 16
and the rear wall 18 of housing 12. Referring to Fig. 7, push tab 14 may be
defined at least
partially by perforated score lines 19 on the housing 12. Referring to Figs.
5B-5E, push tab
14 is adapted to hinge from a base end 32 of the push tab 14 into the housing
12 toward the
dispensing end 30 for manual advancement, in operation, of the food item from
the rear wall
18 towards the dispensing end 30.
[0017] Referring to Fig. 5E, the push tab 14, in use, defines a tab stroke 34
within the
housing. The tab stroke 34 may be broad enough to sweep the sandwich 28
entirely out of
the container 10, for example if the tab stroke 34 extends to the dispensing
end 30. Referring
to Fig. 5B the tab 14 may initially contact a back end 36 of the sandwich 28,
at a position
that is above half the height of the sandwich 28 for example. In some cases
the position is
above half the height of the container 10, and may be even higher to ensure
that the tab 14
contacts the sandwich 28 over a region that extends up to an upper portion or
layer 40 of the
sandwich 28. This acts to prevent the layers of the sandwich 28 from being
skewed across
one another.
[0018] Referring to Fig. 7, push tab 14 may have at least one fold spaced
between
base end 32 and an upper edge 46. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5B, for example
push tab 14 may
have a series of spaced parallel lateral folds, such as folds 42A, 42B, and
42C, which define
an accordion-like series of surfaces, such as surfaces 44A, 44B, and 44C. The
container 10
may have more or less folds and surfaces than those shown. Referring to Fig.
5B, an
accordion-like series of surfaces such as is shown may allow the push tab 14
to hug the
contour of the sandwich 28. Referring to Fig. 5D, the push tab 14 may have at
least one push
surface, such as surface 48 spaced from base end 32, for example adjacent
upper edge 46,
that is adapted to hinge backwards relative to the forward hinging of the push
tab 14 at base
end 32. This allows surface 48 to flatly contact the back end 36 of the
sandwich through a
range of different hinge angles 50 at base end 32 through the advancement.
Referring to
Figs. 5C and 5D, as an example, surface 48 is illustrated at two different
points along the tab
stroke, flatly in contact with back end 36 of sandwich 28 in an upright
position, which may
be the most natural contact position for a sandwich of this type. This allows
a user to apply a
force vector 52 to the sandwich 28 in the direction of the desired advancement
of the
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sandwich 28 out of the container 10. Base end 32 may be located at the
junction between the
base 16 and the rear wall 18. Referring to Figs. 5A and 7, the push tab 14 may
be formed in
the base 16 and the rear wall 18 of the housing 12, for example as shown. The
push tab 14
may be formed to at least one-third, for example at least one-half to full
length, of the
distance up the rear wall 18 of the housing 12 from the base end 32. In some
embodiments,
the base end 32 may be located on the rear wall 18. In other embodiments, the
base end 32 is
located at least one-third of the length of the base 16 from the rear wall 18.
The base end 32
may hinge at the dispensing end 30 in some cases.
[0019] Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the push tab 14 is sized to fit the fingers
56 of a
user's hand 58. Referring to Fig. 3, the push tab 14 may be at least 3 cm, for
example 4-5
cm, wide to suitably fit two fingers. Push tab 14 may also have width 54 sized
to fit at least
three fingers 56. The push tab 14 may be at least 4 cm, for example 5-7 cm,
wide to suitably
fit three fingers. Sizing to fit the fingers allows the fingers 56 to operate
the push tab 14
while a user's thumb 62 and at least one opposing finger, such as a user's
fourth finger 56D,
are free to grip the sidewalls 22 and 24 of container 10 for lateral
stability. Thus, single-
handed-use of container 10 is afforded. Referring to Fig. 4, another
configuration is
envisioned where thumb 62 and a user's third and fourth fingers 56C and 56D,
respectively,
are used to grip the container 10. At least one of the other two remaining
fingers (not shown)
may be used to operate the push tab 14. Other configurations are possible,
including using
one to four of fingers 56 to operate push tab 14. Push tab 14 may be provided
with a width
54 sized to fit at least four or more fingers 56 as shown. The push tab 14 may
be at least 5
cm, for example 7-9 cm, wide to suitably fit four fingers. Larger widths may
be used. The
width of tab 14 may be selected to correspond with the majority of expected
widths of the
fingers of a predicted consumer, for example a child or adult. Referring to
Fig. 6, by
providing a push tab 14 with a lateral width 54 suitable for protecting the
fingers 56 from
directly contacting the food item, push tab 14 forms a hygienic barrier. To
improve this
function, the width 54 of the push tab 14 may be sized at least 0.5 cm, for
example 1-5 cm,
larger than the width of the number of fingers 56 that the push tab 14 is
sized for. In addition,
this may be achieved by sizing the push tab 14 for more fingers than push tab
14 is intended
to be operated with. The push tab 14 may have the width of at least three
fingers 56. The
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width of the push tab 14 may also correspond with the width of a sandwich
contained in the
sandwich container 10. For example, the width of the push tab 14 may be at
least half, for
example at least three quarters, the width of the sandwich 28.
[0020] Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the housing 12 may have a front flap 64.
Referring
to Fig. 2, front flap 64 may be adapted to close, for example enclose, the
dispensing end 30
of the housing 12, and may be adapted to hinge downwardly in operation. The
front flap 64
may be constructed as part of a front wall (not shown) of the container 10,
for example if the
flap 64 hinges downwardly from a hinge point located partially up the front
wall. Referring
to Fig. 4, the front flap 64 may comprise a perimeter lip, for example
constructed of adjacent
surfaces 66, 68, 70, 72, and 74, which collectively define a drip tray 76 when
the front flap
64 is hinged downwardly in operation. Referring to Fig. 1, the perimeter lip
may overlap the
housing 12 when flap 64 is closed. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, either or both
of flap 64 and
housing 12 may comprise one or more edge cutout, such as corresponding edge
cutouts 76
and 78 centered on the edges of surfaces 70 and top wall 18, respectively, in
order to
facilitate the opening of flap 64 from dispensing end 30. Edge cutouts 76 and
78 may overlap
one another when the flap 64 is closed. Edge cutout 76 may be used as a finger
hold for
manually opening front flap 64. Referring to Fig. 4, sidewalls 22 and 24 may
each be
comprised of at least two angled surfaces, such as side surfaces 21A and 23A
(sidewall 22)
and side surfaces 21B and 23B (sidewall 24), adapted to flex inwardly under
lateral gripping
pressure in order to pop open the front flap 64.
[0021] Referring to Fig. 5B, push tab 14 may be adapted to advance sandwich 28
towards the dispensing end 30 in order to contact and open the front flap 64.
This way, push
tab 14 and front flap 64 cooperate together to allow a food item to be easily
advanced and
consumed using only a single hand. Referring to Fig. 5B, once front flap 64
has been
contacted by the advancing sandwich 28, front flap 64 flips open, and may form
the drip tray
as discussed above.
[0022] Referring to Fig. 7, food container 10 may be constructed from a blank
82 of
material. Blank 82 may have various features detailed into the construction of
container 10,
such as slots 84A, 86A and corresponding insert flaps 86A, 86B, respectively.
In addition,
various reinforcing flaps may be used to overlap and reinforce parts of the
container 10, or to
CA 02676642 2009-09-09
adhere adjacent surfaces together in a relatively angled conformation, for
example using
adhesive. For example, front flap 64 has reinforcing flaps 88A, 88B for
adhering to a first
front flap portion 92, and reinforcing flaps 90A, 90B for adhering to a second
front flap
portion 94 to give the angled conformation illustrated in Fig. 2. In a similar
fashion, rear wall
18 may have reinforcing flaps 96A, 96B for adhering to a first rear wall
portion 100, and
reinforcing flaps 98A, 98B for adhering to a second rear wall portion 102.
Flaps 96A, 96B,
98A, and 98B may help to form an overlapping lip of rear wall 18, the
overlapping lip being
formed of adjacent surfaces 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112.
[0023] It should be understood that container 10 may have any suitable
configuration, for example, cylindrical, box, polyhedron, and other
configurations. One or
more of walls 18, 20, 22, 24, flap 64, base 16, and the front wall if present,
may be
comprised of two or more surfaces angled relative to one another, such as
first rear wall
portion 100 and second rear wall portion 102 in the case of rear wall 18 for
example.
[0024] Housing 12 may be made from suitable material, such as one or more of
cardboard, paperboard, construction paper, plastic, reinforced paper, and wax
paper. Rigid
materials may be used.
[0025] In the claims, the word "comprising" is used in its inclusive sense and
does
not exclude other elements being present. The indefinite article "a" before a
claim feature
does not exclude more than one of the feature being present. Each one of the
individual
features described here may be used in one or more embodiments and is not, by
virtue only
of being described here, to be construed as essential to all embodiments as
defined by the
claims.
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