Patent ID: 6748722
Filing Date: 2004-06-15
Classification: B65D,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for reducing heat loss of hot pizzeria pizza shipped in corrugated box packaging, said method comprising the steps of:placing a recently-cooked pizza into a thermal-leg-equipped one-piece corrugated box and, thereby, creating a pizza-loaded thermal-leg-equipped corrugated box, said pizza-loaded thermal-leg-equipped corrugated box comprising a bottom panel, a plurality of wall structures including adjacent first and second wall structures attached to said bottom panel at respective first and second fold lines, at least one thermal-leg, a cover, and said pizza, said at least one thermal-leg being a downward projection of said first wall structure and extending beyond a bottom edge of a wall panel by a distance of at least nine millimeters when the box is in a fully-erected format, performing at least one of the following three steps: (1) prior to the placing step positioning said thermal-leg-equipped one-piece corrugated box on a support surface in a disposition wherein a substantial portion of at least one thermal-leg of the box is disposed below a plane of said support surface, (2) subsequent to the placing step positioning said pizza-loaded thermal-leg-equipped corrugated box on a support surface in a disposition wherein a substantial portion of said at least one thermal-leg is disposed below a plane of said support surface, and (3) subsequent to the placing step positioning said pizza-loaded thermal-leg-equipped corrugated box on top of a second pizza-loaded thermal-leg-equipped corrugated box wherein a substantial portion of said at least one thermal-leg is disposed on an exterior side of a wall of said second pizza-loaded thermal-leg-equipped corrugated box, and setting said pizza-loaded thermal-leg-equipped corrugated box on a cool support surface; whereby when said bottom panel assumes a downward-warping disposition a center point of said bottom panel is disposed above and free of contact with said cool support surface; and whereby said method solves the problem of a downward-warping bottom panel of a loaded corrugated pizza box coming into contact with a cool support surface underneath the box.