Clamshell carton with partitions

A clamshell carton wherein the tray includes a partition panel integral with the upper edge of the front wall and folded to overlie the interior of the front wall and a major portion of the bottom panel. The partition panel including a partition section selectively upwardly foldable at an intermediate and preferably central portion of the tray to define two food-receiving compartments therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention broadly relates to containers for use in the fast 
food industry. Such containers, preferably formed of folded paperboard, 
cardboard and the like, come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Many 
factors go into the design of such containers including the nature of the 
food product or products to be received therein, the cost of the material 
involved, the ease of manufacture and use thereof, the adaptability of the 
formed container to convenient shipping and storage, and like factors 
which ultimately result in an economically feasible and practical food 
container. 
One basic form of container is what is commonly referred to as a clamshell 
or clamshell carton which includes a tray with upwardly and slightly 
outwardly flaring peripheral walls, and a similarly configured inverted 
cover, integrally with one of the tray walls and overlying the tray, with 
appropriate latch means releasably joining the cover to the tray. Such 
cartons come in many sizes and shapes to accommodate particular 
foodstuffs. 
Other known cartons are provided with internal partitions, dividing the 
interior thereof into plural compartments, normally to accommodate 
different foodstuffs in a single carton. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a significant object of the present invention to provide a clamshell 
carton with an internal partition, and doing so in a manner which allows 
for the use of a single blank, retains the highly desirable stackable 
nature of conventional clamshell cartons, allows for optional use of the 
partition at the actual point of sale of the product to be placed therein, 
and otherwise provides for practical and economically desirable 
improvements in carton construction. 
More specifically, the carton of the invention comprises a tray with 
peripheral upward and outwardly angled peripheral walls, including opposed 
side walls and a rear wall of generally equal height and a relatively 
higher front wall. The front wall includes integral keeper lugs extending 
from the opposed ends thereof, adjacent the top edge of the front wall, to 
project beyond the opposed side walls. A partition panel is integral with 
the upper edge of the front wall along the full length thereof and folds 
inwardly therefrom to conform to and overlie the inner face of the front 
wall and extend rearward therefrom, conforming to and overlying the base 
panel of the tray for slightly less than the full extent thereof toward 
the rear wall. The rear portion of the partition panel is selectively 
upwardly folded to define a partition intermediate the front and rear tray 
walls and extending generally parallel thereto with the height of the 
partition being slightly greater than that of the tray side walls for easy 
access thereto. 
The cover of the carton includes a rear wall of substantially equal height 
with the rear wall of the tray and integrally formed therewith along the 
full length of the upper edges of the rear wall. The lid also includes 
opposed side walls of a greater height which, in the closed carton, 
outwardly overlie the side walls of the tray. The forward wall of the 
cover is of substantially equal height with the rear wall thereof and, in 
the closed carton, is received immediately inward of the tray front wall 
and the first portion of the partition panel. The side walls of the cover 
include, along the outer edges thereof, forwardly projecting cover locking 
lugs which, in the closed carton, engage beneath the tray keeper lugs for 
a releasable fixing of the cover in a closed position over the tray. 
The carton, thus formed, and prior to an upward folding of the partition, 
can be stacked in the manner of a conventional formed clamshell carton. In 
use, and as desired, the carton can be used for a single food product by 
merely not upwardly folding the partition. However, should one wish to 
accommodate two food products, as for example two hot dogs, separately and 
individually within the carton, the server of the food products need 
merely quickly upwardly fold the easily accessed partition to provide two 
segregated compartments. 
Other features of the invention, and advantages derived therefrom, will 
become apparent from the following more detailed description of the 
carton.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the carton 10 is basically 
of a clamshell construction including a tray 12 and a cover 14 with an 
integral partition panel 16 for selective modification of the interior of 
the tray 12 in accord with the foodstuff or food products to be packaged 
therein. The tray and cover are of complementary configurations, 
preferably rectangular. 
The tray 12 includes a bottom or bottom panel 18 with integral walls, 
including opposed side walls 20, a rear wall 22 and a front wall 24, about 
the periphery of the bottom 18 and extending upwardly therefrom at a 
slightly outwardly inclined angle from the vertical. The side walls 20 and 
rear wall 22 are of equal height, while the front wall 24 is of a greater 
height and includes longitudinally extending coplanar keeper lugs or tabs 
26 immediately below the upper edge 28 of the front wall 24 and extending 
laterally beyond the opposed side walls 20. The walls 20, 22 and 24 are 
maintained in their upright tray-defining position by adhesive flaps 30 
integral with the opposed ends of the tray rear and front walls 22 and 24, 
which flaps 30 overlap and are adhesively secured to the inner faces of 
the opposed side walls 20. 
The cover 14 is similarly configured and includes a top or top panel 32 
with integral peripheral walls which, assuming the closed position of the 
cover 14, extend downward and incline slightly outward from the vertical. 
Such walls include a rear wall 34 of substantially equal height with the 
rear wall 22 of the tray and integrally joined thereto along the 
coextensive upper edges thereof to define a hinge line 36 allowing for a 
selective folding of the cover over the tray. The front wall 38 of the 
cover 14 is of equal or substantially equal height with the rear wall 34 
thereof and the opposed side walls 40 are of equal or substantially equal 
height with the tray front wall 24, and thus of greater height than the 
rear and front walls of the cover. Each of the side walls 40 includes a 
coplanar and integral projecting locking lug 42 adjacent the lower edge 
thereof and extending laterally beyond the cover front wall 38 immediately 
therebelow, again in the closed cover. 
Upon a closing of the cover, the front wall 38 of the cover engages inward 
of the relatively taller front wall 24 of the tray, while the cover side 
walls 40 engage over and outward of the relatively shorter side walls 20 
of the tray with the lock lugs 42 snap-engaging beneath the keeper lugs 26 
due to the inherent flexible resiliency of the paperboard material of the 
carton. The opening of the cover is similarly easily effected. 
Referring now more specifically to the partition panel 16, this panel has a 
forward edge integral and coextensive with the upper edge 28 of the tray 
front wall 24 with a fold line defined therealong to enable an inward 
folding of the partition panel 16 into the tray 12. 
The partition panel 16, noting the blank of FIG. 5 in particular, includes 
three parallel sections transversely thereacross, a front section 44 
foldable at the upper edge 28 of the tray front wall 24, an intermediate 
section 46 integral with the front section 44 along fold line 48, and a 
partition or partition section 50 coextensive with and integral with the 
intermediate section 46 along fold line 52. The partition 50 has a free 
outer edge 54 paralleling the fold lines 48 and 52. 
The partition panel sections 46 and 50 are of equal width between side 
edges 60, which width is substantially equal to the width of the tray 
bottom 18 between the opposed side walls 20. This width is such as to 
enable these sections 46 and 50 to be closely received in overlying 
relation to the tray bottom 18 between the side walls 20 thereof. The 
upwardly flaring nature of the side walls 20 facilitating an insertion of 
the partition panel into overlying position with the tray bottom. 
The front section 44 of the partition panel 16 conforms to the tray front 
wall 24. As such, it will be noted that the opposed side edges 56 of the 
front section 44 adjacent edge 28, are initially parallel and then 
converge slightly toward the fold line 48, thus conforming to the slightly 
converging end edges 58 of the tray front wall 24 which contribute to the 
desired slight outward angling thereof in the erected carton. The parallel 
portions of the side edges 56 are coextensive with the upper portion of 
the tray front wall 24 from which the keeper lugs extend. 
Turning now to the length of the partition panel from the upper edge 28 of 
the front wall to the outer edge 54 of the partition 50, and noting FIG. 3 
in particular, it will be seen that the front section 44, between the edge 
28 and the fold line 48, is coextensive with the height of the tray front 
wall 24. The intermediate section and partition 50, between fold line 48 
and the free edge 54 is slightly less than the depth of the tray. Thus, 
with the intermediate and partition sections 46 and 50 overlying the 
bottom 18, as in FIG. 3, a space is provided between edge 54 and tray rear 
wall 22 whereby one can easily access the free edge 54 for an upward 
folding of the partition 50 to the partitioning position illustrated in 
FIG. 1. With continued reference to FIG. 1, it will also be noted that the 
partition 50, between the fold line 52 and edge 54, is slightly higher 
than the tray side walls 20 but less than the overall height of the closed 
carton, thus allowing for free access to the partition 50, as for example 
an aid in removing foodstuff from the formed forward compartment or 
chamber by physically upwardly pivoting the partition panel 16, while at 
the same time allowing for a full closing of the tray cover. 
With continued reference to FIG. 3, it will be appreciated that with the 
partition 50 unfolded, that is directly overlying the bottom 18, a single 
food-receiving chamber or compartment is provided, possibly for a 
hamburger or the like. So arranged, it will also be appreciated that the 
cartons can be conveniently stacked for storage and shipment by merely 
internesting cartons into a compact and conveniently handled stack with no 
wasted space. When the partition 50 is to be used, the food dispenser need 
merely engage the free edge 54 and upwardly fold partition into the 
configuration of FIG. 1. In this configuration, two receiving compartments 
or chambers are formed, as for two hot dogs, a single hot dog and an 
appropriate side order of french fries, and similar such uses. 
With reference to the blank of FIG. 5, it will be appreciated that the 
versatile partition panel 16 is provided for as an integral extension of 
the blank used in the formation of the tray and cover components of the 
clamshell carton. The partition panel, while extending the length of the 
blank, is of a lesser transverse width, thus minimizing the amount of 
material required in providing for a unique selectively partitioned 
food-receiving tray. 
The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
It is to be appreciated that other embodiments, incorporating the features 
of the invention as set forth in the claims, are also to be considered to 
be within the scope of protection afforded by the claims.