Abstract:
The present invention relates generally to a container for holding a food product or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a folded paperboard or corrugated container or the like having automatically interlocking bottom flaps that provide the container with improved structural integrity and weight carrying ability when assembled.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    The present non-provisional patent application/patent claims the benefit of priority of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/097,904, filed on Sep. 18, 2008, and entitled “CONTAINER FOR HOLDING A FOOD PRODUCT OR THE LIKE,” the contents of which are incorporated in full by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a container for holding a food product or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a folded paperboard or corrugated container or the like having automatically interlocking bottom flaps that provide the container with improved structural integrity and weight carrying ability when assembled. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Folded paperboard and corrugated containers and the like are often used in the fast food/quick serve restaurant industry. Advantageously, such containers are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, ship, store, assemble, and use, and are typically disposable. Often, it is desirable for these containers, and especially their bottoms, to have a certain degree of structural integrity such that they provide improved weight carrying ability when assembled. This is especially important when food products and the like having a certain moisture content are held, as some of this moisture content may be transferred to the material making up the bottom of the container, thereby compromising its structural integrity to a certain degree. 
         [0004]    Conventional folded paperboard and corrugated containers and the like have inadequate structural integrity and weight carrying ability when assembled. Typically, these containers have interlocking bottom flaps, with or without associated tabs, that engage one another when the containers are assembled/expanded. The interlocking bottom flaps of most of these containers, however, will disengage one another when a sufficiently heavy food product or the like is placed in the containers and lifted or carried. This is obviously an undesirable situation and is the result of inferior structural design. 
         [0005]    Thus, what is still needed in the art is a folded paperboard or corrugated container or the like having automatically interlocking bottom flaps that provide the container with improved structural integrity and weight carrying ability when assembled. Preferably, this container would be relatively simple in design and inexpensive to manufacture. Folded paperboard and corrugated containers and the like are typically single-use items that are used by the thousands. Thus, incremental increases in material, handling, and use efficiency may lead to significant savings and/or market penetration. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    As described above, the present invention relates generally to a container for holding a food product or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a folded paperboard or corrugated container or the like having automatically interlocking bottom flaps that provide the container with improved structural integrity and weight carrying ability when assembled. 
         [0007]    In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a container configured to selectively hold a food product or the like, including: a plurality of side/intermediate walls that are configured to be selectively folded together and assembled to form a prismatic structure; and a plurality of bottom flaps that are one or more of connected to and integrally formed with, and that fold with respect to, the plurality of side/intermediate walls to also form the prismatic structure; wherein selected bottom flaps include a hook feature and selected bottom flaps include a corresponding slot feature; and wherein, when the container is assembled/expanded, the hook features automatically engage the corresponding slot features to provide integrity to the prismatic structure. Optionally, one or more of the plurality of side/intermediate walls define a handle. Optionally, each of the hook features includes a recess manufactured into an edge of the corresponding bottom flap. Optionally, each of the slot features includes a cut-away structure manufactured into a central portion of the corresponding bottom flap. Optionally, each of the slot features includes a relief structure manufactured into a central portion of the corresponding bottom flap. 
         [0008]    In another exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a method for providing a container configured to selectively hold a food product or the like, including: providing a plurality of side/intermediate walls that are configured to be selectively folded together and assembled to form a prismatic structure; and providing a plurality of bottom flaps that are one or more of connected to and integrally formed with, and that fold with respect to, the plurality of side/intermediate walls to also form the prismatic structure; wherein selected bottom flaps include a hook feature and selected bottom flaps include a corresponding slot feature; and wherein, when the container is assembled/expanded, the hook features automatically engage the corresponding slot features to provide integrity to the prismatic structure. Optionally, one or more of the plurality of side/intermediate walls define a handle. Optionally, each of the hook features includes a recess manufactured into an edge of the corresponding bottom flap. Optionally, each of the slot features includes a cut-away structure manufactured into a central portion of the corresponding bottom flap. Optionally, each of the slot features includes a relief structure manufactured into a central portion of the corresponding bottom flap. 
         [0009]    In a further exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a container configured to selectively hold a food product or the like, including: a plurality of side/intermediate walls that are configured to be selectively folded together and assembled to form a prismatic structure; and a plurality of bottom flaps that are one or more of connected to and integrally formed with, and that fold with respect to, the plurality of side/intermediate walls to also form the prismatic structure; wherein selected bottom flaps include a hook feature and selected bottom flaps include a corresponding slot feature; wherein, when the container is assembled/expanded, the hook features automatically engage the corresponding slot features to provide integrity to the prismatic structure; and wherein the hook features resist disengagement from the corresponding slot features. Optionally, one or more of the plurality of side/intermediate walls define a handle. Optionally, each of the hook features includes a recess manufactured into an edge of the corresponding bottom flap. Optionally, each of the slot features includes a cut-away structure manufactured into a central portion of the corresponding bottom flap. Optionally, each of the slot features includes a relief structure manufactured into a central portion of the corresponding bottom flap. Optionally, selected bottom flaps also include a foldable portion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The present invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to the various drawings, in which like reference numbers are used to denote like container components/method steps, as appropriate, and in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a planar side view of the container of the present invention in an unassembled configuration, highlighting the components of the automatically interlocking bottom flaps as well as other components. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , in one exemplary embodiment, the container  10  of the present invention includes a plurality of side/intermediate walls  12  that are selectively folded together, assembled, and/or glued to form a box or other similar structure. Typically, these side/intermediate walls  12  are manufactured from paperboard, corrugated cardboard, a plastic material, a foam material, etc., and have an appreciable degree of rigidity such that they provide the container  10  with suitable structural integrity when assembled. In the embodiment illustrated, the side/intermediate walls  12  are selectively folded together, assembled, and/or glued to form a beverage carrier and, accordingly, define one or more overlapping or non-overlapping handle cutouts  14 . It will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other types of carriers may be formed, optionally including one or more holding/carrying chambers. Thus, the plurality of side/intermediate walls  12  may have any suitable shape, such as a substantially rectangular shape, a rounded rectangular shape, a wholly or partially trapezoidal shape, an irregular shape, etc. Typically, the plurality of side/intermediate walls  12  are integrally formed from a unified piece of material, and are defined by folds, cutouts, etc. 
         [0013]    The container  10  also includes a plurality of bottom flaps  16 , 18  that are connected to or integrally formed with, and that fold with respect to, the plurality of side/intermediate walls  12 . Because a variety of types of carriers may be formed utilizing the concepts of the present invention, optionally including one or more holding/carrying chambers, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the plurality bottom flaps  16 , 18  may also have any suitable shape, such as a substantially rectangular shape, a rounded rectangular shape, a wholly or partially trapezoidal shape, an irregular shape, etc. Selected bottom flaps  16  include a hook feature  20 , and selected bottom flaps include a corresponding slot feature  22 . When the container  10  is assembled/expanded, the bottom flaps  16 , 18 , which are optionally folded up adjacent to the side/intermediate walls  12  during shipping/storage, drop down and the hook features  20  automatically engage the slot features  22 . Because the hook features  20  are indeed hooked, once assembled/expanded, the hook features  20  more securely engage the slot features  22  as weight is applied to the container  10 , at least until the hook features  20  and/or slot features  22  mechanically fail. Selected bottom flaps  18  also include a folding portion  24  and a notch  26  formed along an edge thereof for receiving the other selected bottom flaps  16 . It should be noted that the bottom flap assembly of the present invention may be used with any square or rectangular box assembly, regardless of what is going to be held therein or carried thereby (food, cups, playing cards, loose material, etc.). 
         [0014]    In more detail, in this exemplary embodiment, each of the hook features  20  is formed by manufacturing a recess  21  into an edge of the corresponding bottom flap  16 . This recess  21  is skewed to one side, as illustrated, and thereby forms the hook feature. Alternatively, each of the hook features  20  could be formed as a protrusion from the edge of the corresponding bottom flap  16 . Each of the slot features  22  is a cut-away and/or relief structure manufactured into the corresponding bottom flap  18 . In this exemplary embodiment, the slot features  22  each include a substantially arcuate cut-away structure coupled with a simple relief slit on each side. It will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other configurations could also be utilized. 
         [0015]    Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered by the following claims.