Abstract:
A disposable holder for food that includes a separable component for grasping a food item previously contained within the holder during consumption by a user. The holder has separable upper and lower portions that include corresponding tabs for keeping the holder closed. One of the upper or lower portions includes a series of fold lines, such that the upper or lower portion may be folded around a food item after separated from the other portion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entirety of U.S. Provisional Application 61/099,071 filed on Sep. 22, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to packaging for a food item, and, more specifically, to packaging with a removable portion used to hold food while the food is consumed. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     It is extremely common for food such as sandwiches and hamburgers to be purchased and consumed while operating a vehicle or otherwise mobile. This food often contains sauces, condiments, and other loose components such as lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, and onions, among others. While this food is designed to be hand-held, spills and drips occur frequently and can distract the consumer from other tasks such as operating the vehicle. Additionally, spilled or dripped food components can soil and stain clothing, upholstery, and other surfaces. 
     Prior methods to protect against spills, drips, or falling food have involved using an additional device meant to hold the food or shield the consumer. These devices are typically purchased separately from the food and are often neither convenient, disposable, nor recyclable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a method for holding food and providing protection from spills and dropped components. 
     It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a food holder that is part of the container in which the food is purchased. 
     It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a convenient food holder that is disposable and recyclable. 
     In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention provides a food holder that is convenient, inexpensive, disposable, and recyclable. More specifically, a food holder that is a separable component of the packaging in which the food is purchased by the consumer. In one aspect of the present invention, a container for containing a food item therein is provided that comprises a tray, a lid hingedly joined to the tray for selective movement relative thereto between open and closed positions, and further including structure hat permits the permanent separation of the lid from the tray. The lid is structured such that once it is separated from the tray it may be folded about a fold line causing a transformation of its sidewalls to a flexed position, thereby collectively forming a pocket in which the food item may be securely enveloped. 
     The lid and tray each include a plurality of sidewalls with at least one of each including a locking tab that is adapted to interact with the opposing locking tab to secure the tray in a locked condition when the tray and lid are closed relative to one another. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic of a food packaging container including a food holder according a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic of a food packaging container including a food holder according a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic of a food packaging container including a food holder according a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic of a food packaging container including a food holder according a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 5-8  are perspective views at different angles of the lid portion of the container after it has been separated from the lid and formed into a pocket adapted to at least partially envelope a food item. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of a food packaging device  10  including a separable component  12  used for holding food according to the present invention. Device  10  comprises a structure that may be cut from a blank of suitable stock material, such as corrugated paperboard, and folded into the appropriate configuration. In the embodiment seen  FIG. 1 , device  10  includes upper and lower portions  14  and  16 , respectively, having interlocking tabs  18  for retaining device  10  in a user-operable configuration. To assist with the folding of device  10  into a usable configuration, device  10  may include a series of cut lines  20  and creases  22 . Device  10  may further include a line of perforations  24  to allow the separation of upper and lower portions  14  and  16 , respectively, from each other. It should be recognized by those of skill in the art that any suitable means for forming creases or folds could be uses to encouraging folding along the patterns indicated in  FIG. 1 . 
     When upper portion  14  and lower portion  16  of device  10  are connected and device  10  is folded into its usable configuration, those of skill in the art will recognize that device  10  forms a container for housing a food item, such as a hamburger or cheeseburger. Interlocking tabs  18  allow device  10  to be closed around a food item and retained in the closed position until unlocked by a user. When upper portion  14  is separated from lower portion  16  along perforation  24 , upper portion  14  may be further folded into a second configuration and used to grasp the food item, as seen in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a second embodiment of device  10  according to the present invention comprises includes upper and lower portions  30  and  32 , respectively, having interlocking tabs  34  for retaining device  10  in a user-operable configuration. To assist with the folding of device  10  into a usable configuration, device  10  includes a series of cut lines  36  and creases  38 . Device  10  may further include a line of perforations  40  to allow the separation of upper and lower portions  14  and  16 , respectively, from each other. It should be recognized by those of skill in the art that any suitable means for forming creases or folds could be uses to encouraging folding along the pattern indicated in  FIG. 2 . 
     When upper portion  30  and lower portion  32  of device  10  are connected and device  10  is folded into its usable configuration, those of skill in the art will recognize that device  10  forms a container for housing a food item, such as a hamburger or cheeseburger. Interlocking tabs  34  allow device  10  to be closed around a food item and retained in the closed position until unlocked by a user. When upper portion  30  is separated from lower portion  32  along perforations  40 , upper portion  32  may be further folded into a second configuration and used to grasp the food item, as seen in  FIG. 2 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a third embodiment of device  10  according to the present invention comprises includes upper and lower portions  44  and  46 , respectively, having interlocking tabs  48  for retaining device  10  in a user-operable configuration. To assist with the folding of device  10  into a usable configuration, device  10  includes a series of cut lines  50  and creases  52 . Device  10  may further include a line of perforations  54  to allow the separation of upper and lower portions  14  and  16 , respectively, from each other. It should be recognized by those of skill in the art that any suitable means for forming creases or folds could be uses to encouraging folding along the pattern indicated in  FIG. 3 . 
     When upper portion  44  and lower portion  46  of device  10  are connected and device  10  is folded into its usable configuration, those of skill in the art will recognize that device  10  forms a container for housing a food item, such as a hamburger or cheeseburger. Interlocking tabs  48  allow device  10  to be closed around a food item and retained in the closed position until unlocked by a user. When upper portion  44  is separated from lower portion  46  along perforations  54 , lower portion  46  may be further folded into a second configuration and used to grasp the food item, as seen in  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a fourth embodiment of device  10  according to the present invention comprises includes upper and lower portions  60  and  62 , respectively, having interlocking tabs  64  for retaining device  10  in a user-operable configuration. To assist with the folding of device  10  into a usable configuration, device  10  includes a series of cut lines  66  and creases  68 . Device  10  may further include a line of perforations  70  to allow the separation of upper and lower portions  60  and  62 , respectively, from each other. It should be recognized by those of skill in the art that any suitable means for forming creases or folds could be uses to encouraging folding along the pattern indicated in  FIG. 4 . 
     When upper portion  60  and lower portion  62  of device  10  are connected and device  10  is folded into its usable configuration, those of skill in the art will recognize that device  10  forms a container for housing a food item, such as a hamburger or cheeseburger. Interlocking tabs  64  allow device  10  to be closed around a food item and retained in the closed position until unlocked by a user. When upper portion  60  is separated from lower portion  62  along perforations  70 , lower portion  62  may be further folded into a second configuration and used to grasp the food item, as seen in  FIG. 4 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5-8 , the upper (or lid) portion of each of the embodiments is generically referred to by reference numeral  100  and is shown after it has been separated from the lower (or tray) portion of the container. Upper portion  100  comprises a pair of scored fold lines  102 ,  104  formed in major surface  105  and along parallel axes that extend transverse to the longitudinal axis X-X of the lid (it should be noted that the lid could alternatively include just a single fold line, or more than two fold lines). Score lines  106 ,  108  and  110 ,  112  are extensions of score lines  102 ,  104  and are formed in sidewalls  114  and  116 , respectively. Further score lines  118 ,  120  and  122 ,  124  are formed diagonally from score line extensions  106 ,  108  and  110 ,  112  at the intersection of sidewalls  114  and  116  and major surface  105  to the terminal edges of sidewalls  114  and  116 . Upon separation of lid  100  from the tray portion of the container, a user can fold major surface  105  about its two fold lines, thereby bringing the two parts of the major surface towards one another, which will cause (perhaps with user intervention) sidewalls  114  and  116  to also bend along the extend score lines  106 ,  108  and  110 ,  112  and flex outwardly about their respective diagonal score lines  118 ,  120  and  122 ,  124 . The collective folding of major surface  102 , and bending and flexing of sidewalls  114 ,  116  collectively define a pocket in which the food item may be at least partially enveloped and used by the user to hold the food item without directly touching it. A potential advantage of the flexing outwardly of sidewalls  114 ,  116  about the diagonal fold lines  118 ,  120  and  122 ,  124  is the formation of a spout  126  that can be used to drain any liquid, such as grease, that may fill the pocket.