Container for expandable food pouch

An expandable food such as popcorn is sealed within a pouch formed of a substantially oxygen-impermeable, flexible, synthetic high polymer film which is dimensioned so as to fit for storage and efficient cooking of the food product in an outer bowl-like protective paperboard container. The outer container and pouch can be heated in a microwave oven and the expandable pouch and food is supported and confined in the bowl of the outer container, from which the food can be consumed. The outer container is formed from a unitary blank which can be partially erected and shipped in a flat, knock-down condition to a food processor for filling with the food pouch. The base of the outer container is provided with self-locking tabs to prevent the bowl-like container from collapsing and returning to its knock-down, shipped condition after fully erected and filled with the food pouch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention: 
This invention relates generally to a bowl-like container adapted to hold a 
packaged food and more particularly, a bowl-like container for an 
expandable food pouch which can be heated in a microwave oven. 
2. Description of the Prior Art: 
The prior art has developed many expandable food packages adapted for 
storing and cooking expandable food products such as popcorn. Generally, 
packages of this type comprise an aluminum pan portion having an 
expandable aluminum cover. A container of this type is disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. No. 2,815,883. Because of the excellent moisture barrier and heat 
conduction properties of aluminum foil, it is well suited for use in this 
type of container which is used for storing as well as popping the 
popcorn. In operation, the container is placed over a suitable heat source 
which brings the contents of the container to proper popping conditions. 
As popping progresses, the foil top expands from a crimped condition to 
make room for the popcorn in its popped state. 
A similar metal foil container is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,052,554. In this patent, two sheets of light gauge metal foil, such as 
aluminum foil are placed in overlying, substantially, face to face 
relationship secured together substantially along their edges by adhesive 
or mechanical means. The popcorn is mixed with frying fat and disposed 
between the two face to face foil sheets. The pouch is heated in a pan and 
will expand upon the application of heat to assume a rotund or pillow 
shape having a somewhat semi-eliptical upper and lower section. This 
patent also discloses that the expandable pouch can be formed in a variety 
of shapes such as square, round or circular, etc. 
While these containers have been a great commercial success and have 
provided a convenient means for both storing and preparing popcorn, they 
are not suitable for use with microwave heating means. Aluminum foil 
effectively shields the product from microwave energy and prevents it from 
heating the package contents. Thus, the popular expandable aluminum foil 
popcorn package cannot be employed for heating the popcorn by microwave 
energy. 
U.S Pat. No. 4,036,423 provides a non-metallic, expandable food package 
which is capable of storing expandable foods such as popcorn and then 
heating them in microwave ovens. The disclosed package has a base portion 
which includes foldably attached, integral flanges to which a cover of 
flexible plastic film is secured along a continuous periphery, resulting 
in a totally enclosed container. Because the closed container is formed by 
the combination of the base portion and the film cover, the base portion 
must be made of a material which will serve as a suitable moisture, oxygen 
and fat barrier. Also, the base portion must be constructed of a material 
capable of forming an effective seal with the film. Thus, the material for 
forming the container will be relatively expensive and a high degree of 
control must be exercised during formation of the container. The 
construction of the container is made more difficult by the necessity for 
sealing the film to the base portion flanges after assembly of the base 
portion. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,045 illustrates a self-contained popcorn package 
suitable for microwave heating. However, the package is not adapted to be 
stored in an outer container wherein it can be readily and expediently 
cooked in that container and the contents, after cooking, confined and 
consumed. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,907 illustrates that polyethylene terephthalate can be 
used as a packaging film or pouch under high temperature conditions. 
However, until the inventions of Austin alone, and Austin and Kane, 
assigned to the same assignee as the present application, and entitled 
"Expandable Food Pouch and Container", the disclosures of which are 
incorporated by reference herein, the prior art was substantially devoid 
of any teachings whatsoever of the combination of an outer bowl-like 
carton or container preferably made of inexpensive paperboard, which can 
contain an expandable and separate polyethylene terephthalate package 
containing an expandable food product such as popcorn, which can be heated 
in the original outer, paperboard package in a microwave oven; the inner 
package being specifically dimensioned and conformed to the shape of the 
container so that its expansion is contained wholly within the confines of 
the outer bowl-like container and progresses in an orderly confined manner 
in a confined space, precluding the inner package or pouch from bursting 
thereby spilling the contents thereof or being uncontrolled to the extent 
that opening of the expandable package or pouch will cause the expanded 
food product, such as popcorn, to overflow the confines of the outer 
container and be placed in an unsanitary environment prior to being 
consumed. Further, the inner package is dimensioned so as to be supported 
in the container to assure proper drainage of the cooking fats and oils 
during heating of the product so the product cooks completely in an 
expedient fashion. 
Specifically, in the Austin and Kane, and Austin inventions, a pouch is 
disclosed which includes an expandable food product sealed within the 
pouch. The pouch is formed of a substantially oxygen-impermeable, 
flexible, synthetic high polymer film capable of maintaining product 
freshness over extended periods of time and withstanding the temperatures 
and moisture vapor developed upon heating the packaged food product in a 
microwave oven for a period of time effective to fully expand the food 
product to a volume of at least twice that as packaged. The expandable 
food product is sealed in a circular configuration in the center of the 
pouch. The outer edges of the pouch are also heat-sealed and formed into a 
concentric circle with the expandable food product. 
A planar projection of the diameter of the expandable food product in the 
pouch is substantially equivalent to a diagonal of the planar projection 
of a polygonally shaped mouth of an outer bowl-like paperboard container 
or carton in which the pouch is sealed and adapted to expand during 
heating. The outer carton or container also has a complemental, 
polygonally shaped base and sloping side walls forming an inverted 
frustrum. Because the circumference of the pouch substantially coincides 
with the periphery of mouth of the outer bowl-like paperboard container or 
carton containing the pouch, the pouch can be wholly sealed in bulk within 
the interior of the outer paperboard bowl-like container by folding and 
overlapping the non-food filled portions of the pouch back on itself. 
Portions of the circular portion of the pouch containing the food product 
are supported upon the sloping sidewalls and polygonal base of the 
container enabling the pouch to be heated and expanded in a controlled, 
substantially vertical manner wholly within the interior of the outer 
dimensions of the outer bowl-like paperboard container and enabling 
cooking fats and oils mixed with the expandable food product to drain 
along the sidewalls of the outer container in the pouch towards the base 
to assure expedient and full cooking of the food product. 
In one form of the outer, bowl-like carton or container, the carton is 
provided with a substantially hexagonal base and a planar projection, 
hexagonal mouth and is adapted to be expediently erected from a flat, 
knock-down, shipped condition received from a carton manufacturer to an 
inverted frustrum or bowl filled with an expandable food product at the 
situs of the food product manufacturer, without the use of special package 
or carton forming equipment. In order to obtain such a carton, the base of 
the carton blank includes a pair of trapezoidal base portions joined by a 
cut or serrated scoreline so that the base can be folded 180.degree. back 
upon itself wherein the sidewalls can lie on top of each other. To erect 
the carton, it is only necessary to unfold the base to a flat or planar 
condition and the sidewalls will extend upwardly and outwardly from the 
base ready to receive the expandable food pouch. 
The carton or container, however, has a tendency to collapse about the base 
fold line to its knock-down condition. A separate, hexagonally-shaped 
panel is provided and dropped into the carton onto the base portion to 
preclude the base portions from collapsing towards each other. However, 
this was time consuming and involved the provision of additional costly 
materials which had to be stocked. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides means on the container to preclude collapse 
of the base of the outer bowl-like container or carton without the use of 
an additional, separate, structural base panel to prevent pivoting of the 
base about its central scoreline, once the carton is erected. 
In accordance, with the invention, the base is provided with opposed pairs 
of substantially triangular abutment tabs which are placed in abutment 
with the bottom interior surface of adjacent trapezoidal sidewalls to 
rigidify the bowl-like configuration of the container or carton. A 
substantially V-shaped lock tab is cut from opposite pairs of adjacent 
abutment tabs extending from the base. The V-shaped lock tab has an apex 
coincident with the foldline bisecting the base. Upon erection of the 
carton or container by placing the abutment tabs into contact with the 
bottom interior surfaces of adjacent trapezoidal sidewalls, the base will 
remain substantially horizontal with the apex of each V-shaped tab 
extending through and behind its cutline, slightly beyond and beneath a 
pair of adjacent trapezoidal sidewalls, to lock the base in its unfolded, 
horizontal position. 
Each triangular abutment tab may be scored across its width to facilitate 
bending of the abutment tab relative to the V-shaped lock tab and to 
release the lock tab from its cutline.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Disclosed is the combination of an improved package or pouch containing an 
expandable food product housed within a bowl-like outer cooking vessel. By 
"expandable food product" is meant any product such as popcorn, which 
expands upon heating to a volume of two or more times its original volume. 
The preferred containers according to the present invention are designed 
to accommodate an expansion of at least five times the original volume of 
the food product, and most preferably will accommodate an expansion of 
greater than ten times the original product volume. 
The pouch and container are specifically designed for and especially 
adapted to enable heating and expansion of the food product within 
microwave ovens. Accordingly, the pouch and container must be made of 
materials capable of withstanding the temperatures and the internal 
pressures generated during heating. For example, in the case of popping 
popcorn, the popcorn will normally be packaged with an oil which will 
reach a temperature in excess of 150.degree. C. during heating and the 
popcorn will expand with successive explosive releases of steam as each 
kernel pops. 
According to FIG. 1, a round flat package or pouch, generally designated 
10, will be provided containing a measured portion of an expandable food 
product 12 positioned therein. In this particular instance the expandable 
food product will be popcorn admixed with a suitable quantity of fat. It 
is to be understood that the term fat will include all of those 
triglyceride materials normally employed for cooking, and can be either 
solid or liquid at room temperature and be of animal or vegetable origin. 
Typical among the fats which can be employed are butter, coconut oil, 
soybean oil, cotton-seed oil, tallow, and combinations of these. The 
specific type of fat is of course not important to the functioning of the 
present invention and can be selected depending upon the taste and quality 
to be imparted to the food product. While the expandable package or pouch 
10 can be of any desired shape, depending on the shape of the outer 
protective package it has been found that a circular package, having a 
circular-shaped measured food portion 12 positioned at the center, will 
provide the best combination of ease in packaging, cooking and expansion 
upon heating. 
As can be seen best in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, the package is 
comprised of opposed layers of synthetic high polymer film. The two layers 
can be of the same or of different compositions as long as they are 
effective for maintaining shelf stability during the storage of the food 
product after packaging and prior to use over extended periods of time and 
withstanding the temperatures and moisture vapor developed upon heating 
the packaged food product in a microwave oven for a period of time 
effective to fully expand the food product. The film material must be 
capable of forming an effective seal with the opposed surface of film so 
that the two layers 14 and 16 can be sealed about their peripheral edges 
as indicated at 18 in FIG. 2 to form an entirely enclosed space. Where the 
shape of the package will permit, it can be formed from a folded single 
sheet of film or tubular film with the open edges sealed to provide a 
completely enclosed space. 
The seal 18 will be formed along all open edges around the periphery of the 
opposed film surfaces 14 and 16 to provide an enclosed space between the 
films which is large enough to accommodate expansion of the food product 
to at least two times its original size. As indicated previously, it will 
preferably permit expansion of the food product to a volume five times its 
original size, and in the case of products such as popcorn an available 
volume for expansion should be at least ten times the original volume of 
the food product. The seal can be formed by the use of adhesives, solvents 
or heat sealing means as are known in the art. Preferably, the seal is 
made by heat sealing with the width of the seal being from about 1/8 to 
about 1/2 inch, most preferably the seal is about 1/4 inch wide. 
The film employed to form the package should be substantially impermeable 
to oxygen and moisture vapor so that it maintains the freshness of the 
packaged product for a commercially acceptable period of time. While 
storage of at least six months, and preferably twelve months, are 
generally considered necessary, the exact time will depend upon the nature 
of the product. In the case of popcorn packaged with fat, the film must 
not permit significant changes in the moisture content of the popcorn 
kernels and must not permit oxygen to permeate the film to cause 
rancidification of the fat. Acceptable periods of shelf life for popcorn 
will be on the order of from about 6 months to about one year, with a 
preferred shelf stability being defined as maintaining the ability of the 
popcorn to essentially completely pop after being subjected to storage 
under normal conditions of temperature and humidity for a period of at 
least one year. 
Both layers, 14 and 16, of film will preferably be made of the same 
material. It has been found that polyethylene terephthalate is an 
especially effective packaging material for this particular purpose 
because of its low oxygen and moisture permeabilities. Suitable results in 
terms of shelf stability and package performance upon heating have been 
achieved with polyethylene terephthalate films having a thickness of from 
about 0.027 mm to about 0.0254 mm. If desired, the polyethylent 
terephthalate film can be treated by coating with polyvinylidene chloride 
to improve its oxygen and moisture barrier properties or the polyethylene 
terephthalate may be applied as the outermost layers of a multi-layer 
structure, for instance, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylidene 
chloride, Saran or nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate. It is well known 
in the art that there are other suitable alternative film materials which 
can be employed such as laminates of polyvinylidene chloride and 
polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene. It is presently 
believed, however, that the use of the polypropylene terephthalate films 
provide the best combination of cost and effectiveness. 
The expandable food package or pouch 10 containing the expandable food 
product requires very little storage space prior to cooking. Preferably, 
it is enclosed within an outer carton such as the type identified as 20 
and shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 which has the bowl-like shape of an inverted 
frustrum with a polygonal, such as an octagonal base 22 and a planar 
projection, octagonal top opening or mouth 24 connected to the base 22 by 
trapezoidal side walls 25 which are alternatively folded over 
interconnecting triangular panels into abutment along their outer edges to 
form a bowl. The octagonal top opening or mouth 24 is closed or covered by 
interleaving petal-like tabs 26 which are foldably connected to each side 
wall 25 and which fold over each other and are sealed into place for 
storage, as shown in FIG. 6. The outer carton 20 is more fully described 
in U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,933, issued July 21, 1981. The disclosure of the 
same is incorporated herein by reference. 
For heating the food product 12 within the package or pouch 10, the 
interleaved tabs 26 of outer carton 20 are opened to the position shown in 
FIGS. 4 and 5 and the carton is then placed within a microwave oven for 
heating. During the heating cycle, the package or pouch 10 is expanded by 
the expansion of the food product 12 within the package and the release of 
gases, principally water vapor form the product as it is heated. A fully 
expanded package 10 comprising the fully expanded food product, without 
lateral restraint is shown in cross section in FIG. 3. However, the 
diameter of the food product 12 in pouch or package 10 is selected so that 
the circumference of the food product substantially coincides with the 
periphery of octagonal mouth 24 of the bowl-like carton 20 when the 
concentric food product 12 is seated on octagonal base 22, as shown in 
FIG. 6, so that the food product 12 will also seat along the sloping 
sidewalls 25. Because of these dimensions, expansion of the pouch 10 upon 
heating will proceed as shown in FIG. 5 so that the entire contents of the 
expanded food pouch will be wholly within the interior of the outer carton 
20 and rise in a substantial vertical direction only; the sides of the 
package 10 being constrained by virtue of the relatively rigid side panels 
25 of the outer carton 20. Upon heating, the cooking oils and fat admixed 
with the food product 12 will also, because of the dimensions of food 
product 12, drain in pouch 10 along the sloping sidewalls 25 of bowl-like 
container 20 to the bottom of the pouch to assure complete cooking of the 
entire food product in an expedient time. Further, as indicated in FIG. 6, 
prior to expansion, the outer periphery of the package 10 can be easily 
folded and fitted within the interior of the outer carton 20 to provide 
bulk and to permit ready unfolding and expansion upon heating of the outer 
container 20. 
Alternatively, the outer carton can be of the bowl-like type shown in FIGS. 
8 to 22 and designated by the numeral 100. The carton 100 has a 
substantially hexagonal base 102 and a planar projection, hexagonal mouth 
104 and is adapted to be expediently erected from a flat, knock-down, 
shipped condition received from a carton manufacturer to an inverted 
frustum or bowl and filled with an expandable food product at the situs of 
the food product manufacturer, without the use of special package or 
carton forming equipment. 
As in carton 20, the top opening or mouth 104 is connected to the base 102 
by trapezoidal side walls 105. However, the side walls 105 are pivotably 
connected to each other along fold or scorelines 106. The hexagonal top 
opening or mouth 104 is closed by interleaving petal-like closure tabs 
108, which are connected to each side wall 105 by a scoreline 109, 
enabling each tab to fold over each other in succession. One of the 
petal-like tabs 108 is provided with a seal tab 110, of any suitable 
shape, e.g., circular, triangular or diamond-shaped, which is glued or 
otherwise sealed to an adjacent tab 106, as shown in FIG. 19, to close the 
carton for storage. 
The carton 100 is formed from a unitary, planar paperboard blank 120 
illustrated in FIG. 8. The blank 120 includes a pair of substantially 
trapezoidal base portions 102a and 102b joined by a cut or serrated 
scoreline 122. Connected by a scoreline 132 to each lateral or side edge 
of trapezoidal base portions 102a and 102b is a triangular abutment tab 
134. Connected to the outermost or top edge of base portion 102a by a 
scoreline 124 is the smaller parallel edge of one of the trapezoidal side 
wall panels 105a. 
Connected to opposed edges of trapezoidal side wall panel 105a by 
scorelines 106 are a pair of trapezoidal side wall panels 105b, 105c and 
105d, 105e, respectively. A petal-like closure tab 108 is connected by a 
scoreline 109 to the larger parallel edge of each of the trapezoidal side 
wall panels 105a, 105b, 105c, 105d and 105e. A diamond-shaped seal tab 110 
is connected by a broken, cut or serrated scoreline 111 to the petal-like 
closure tab 108 foldably connected to trapezoidal side wall panel 105b. 
A single trapezoidal side wall panel 105f is foldably connected by a 
scoreline 126 to the outermost or top edge of base portion 102b. A single 
petal-like closure tab is foldably connected by a scoreline 109 to the 
larger parallel edge of trapezoidal side wall panel 105f. A glue tab 128 
is connected by a scoreline 130 to sidewall panels 105c and 105e to 
complete the blank construction. 
The blank 120 is folded to form carton 100 as illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 18. 
Glue tabs 128 are adhered to the interior opposed surfaces adjacent the 
lateral edges of trapezoidal sidewall 105f. The triangular abutment tabs 
134 are folded about their adjacent scorelines 132 and placed in abutment 
with the bottom interior surface of trapezoidal sidewalls 105d, 105e, 105f 
and 105c, as shown in FIG. 10. The trapezoidal base portion 102a and 102b 
are then folded into facing relation about cut scoreline 122, as shown in 
FIGS. 11 to 15, inclusive. In this knock-down, flat condition, the blank 
is adapted to be expediently shipped to a food processor, who can erect 
the blank 120 into carton 100 and fill the carton on site without special 
machinery. 
As shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, in order to assemble and fill carton 100, the 
folded blank of FIG. 13 is opened by pivoting trapezoidal base portion 
102a and 102b 180.degree. relative to each other about scoreline 122 so 
that the base portions together form a planar hexagonal surface. The 
sidewalls 105a-105f, inclusive will extend upwardly at an angle relative 
to hexagonal planar projected mouth portion 104. The triangular abutment 
tabs 134 aid to rigidify this construction by abutment with the 
trapezoidal sidewalls. If desired, a separate hexagonally - shaped panel 
136 (FIG. 9) can be dropped into carton 100 onto base portion 102a, 102b 
(see FIG. 17) to preclude the base portions from collapsing about cut 
scoreline 122. Panel 136 has a shape and dimension which is identical to 
the combined, planar base portion 102a, 102b. 
An expandable food product pouch 10 is then inserted into the bowl-like 
carton 100, as shown in FIG. 18. The pouch is dimensioned so that the 
central food portion 12 has a diameter which provides a circumference 
which substantially coincides and extends along the periphery or mouth 104 
of the bowl-like carton or container 100. The remainder of concentric 
plastic portion of the pouch 10 is then folded over the central food 
containing portion 12, to provide bulk for the package and the petal-like 
closure tabs 108 folded successively in interleaving relation about their 
adjacent scorelines 109 to close the mouth 104 of carton 100, as shown in 
FIGS. 19 and 20. Seal tab 110 is then glued or otherwise adhered to one or 
more of the adjacent closure tabs 108 to seal the carton 100. 
To use carton 100, seal tab 110 is opened and removed from carton 100 by 
tearing it along cut scoreline 111, as shown in FIG. 21. The interleaved 
petal-like closure 108 will tend to spring open. The carton 100 can then 
be placed in a microwave oven and heated along with pouch 20 and its food 
product 12. 
Upon heating in a microwave oven, pouch 10 and food product 12 will expand 
in a controlled, substantially vertical supported manner wholly within the 
interior of the outer dimensions of the bowl-like container, as shown in 
FIG. 22. Because the circular food product 12 has a diameter which enables 
the circumference of the pouch 10 to approximate and extend along the 
periphery of the mouth 104 of container 100, the cooking oils and fats 
mixed with the food product will run down the sidewalls 105 in pouch 10 
and drain to the bottom of the pouch 10 as the pouch expands in the 
container 100 enabling the food product to continue cooking to completion. 
The carton or container 200 illustrated in FIG. 29 can be used in lieu of 
container 100 without the provision of an additional, separate, structural 
base panel 136, to prevent pivoting of the base about its central 
scoreline 122, once the carton is erected. The identical elements 
appearing in containers 100 ans 200 are indicated by like numerals. 
In container 200, the base 102 is provided with opposed pairs of 
substantially triangular abutment tabs 202, 204 which are placed in 
abutment with the bottom interior surface of adjacent trapezoidal 
sidewalls 105, as shown in FIGS. 24, 26 and 27, to rigidify the bowl-like 
configuration of the container or carton 200. A substantially V-shaped 
lock tab 206 is cut from opposite pairs of adjacent abutment tabs 202, 204 
extending outwardly from the base 102. Each V-shaped lock tab 206 has an 
apex 208 coincident with the foldline 122 bisecting the base. 
Upon erection of the carton or container 200 by placing the abutment tabs 
202, 204 into contact with the bottom interior surfaces of adjacent 
trapezoidal sidewalls 105, the base 102 will remain substantially 
horizontal with the apex 208 of each V-shaped tab 206 extending through 
and behind its cutline 210, slightly beyond and beneath a pair of adjacent 
trapezoidal sidewalls as shown at 212, in FIGS. 27 and 28, to lock the 
base 102 in its unfolded, horizontal position. 
Each individual one of the opposed pairs of triangular abutment tabs 202, 
204 may be scored across its width at 214, 216, to facilitate bending of 
the abutment tab relative to the V-shaped lock tab 206 and release of lock 
tab 206 from its cutline 210. The carton material between the scorelines 
214, 216, disposed at an angle with respect to each other, tends to 
overlap its abutment tab when its abutment tab is placed in contact with 
an adjacent sidewall 105 to facilitate the breaking away of tab 206 from 
its cutline 210 and the thrusting of each V-shaped tab 206 through the 
space provided by its cutline 210 upon folding of the blank formed into 
container 200. 
The carton 300, as illustrated in FIG. 33, formed from the blank 302 as 
indicated in FIGS. 31 and 32 is identical in all respects to the carton 
200, except that in lieu of the angular pairs of scorelines 214, 216 
traversing each of the abutment tabs 202, 204, the V-shaped lock tab 206 
release can be facilitated by a single scoreline 304 traversing each 
abutment tab 202, 204 enabling one abutment tab in each pair 202, 204 to 
fold back towards the other to release the tab 206 and enable it to be 
thrust below and beyond an adjacent sidewall. 
The carton 400 illustrated in FIG. 37, formed from the blank 402 as 
indicated in FIGS. 35 and 36 is also identical in all respects to the 
carton 200 except that in lieu of angular pairs of scorelines 214, 216 
traversing each of the abutment tabs 202, 204, the V-shaped lock tab 206 
release can also be facilitated by a pair of parallel scorelines 404, 406 
traversing each abutment tab 202, 204 which when the abutment tabs are 
placed in contact with adjacent sidewalls 105, overlap to permit the lock 
tab 206 to be released from its cutline and thrust through its cutline 
210. 
Alternatively, the blank 502 used to form a container 500 (FIGS. 38, 39 and 
40) can have its abutment tabs 202, 204 separated by a cut-out portion, as 
shown at 504, rather than scored transversely, to enable the V-shaped lock 
tab 206 to separate and extend beneath its cutline 210 upon folding of the 
abutment tabs. In all respects container 500 is identical to container 
200. 
The above description is intended to describe the present invention 
sufficiently to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice it. 
It is not intended, however, to detail each and every obvious modification 
and variation of the invention as these should be apparent to the person 
of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the description. It is intended, 
however, that all such modifications and variations of the invention to be 
included within the scope of which is defined by the following claims.