Patent Publication Number: US-2012037691-A1

Title: Food carton

Description:
FIELD OF APPLICATION 
     This application relates to food cartons. Specifically, this application relates to a food carton that maintains a closed configuration without the use of adhesives. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Food cartons, such as those provided to customers of a restaurant, are utilized to store food items and to enable transportation of the food items. In some instances, the cartons may be sized to match a specific food item. For example, a carton for storing a slice of pizza may have a generally triangular shape. 
     Food cartons may be shipped to the restaurant in a preassembled configuration or in an unassembled configuration. The unassembled configuration enables more compact shipment of the cartons. In this configuration, the carton may correspond to a sheet of material with various cuts and fold lines that define the various faces of the carton. The sheet of material may include flaps at certain regions with an adhesive that enables forming the carton. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     A food carton includes a substantially triangular bottom panel with a first, second and third edge. A first, second, and third sidewall connect to the first, second, and third edge, respectively, of the bottom panel. A cover is connected to a top edge of the third sidewall. The bottom panel; first, second, and third sidewalls; and the cover define a substantially closed space therein in a closed configuration. In the closed configuration, a first side edge and a second side edge of the third sidewall extend beyond a rear edge of the first sidewall and a rear edge of the second sidewall, respectively, so that the rear edge of the first sidewall and the rear edge of the second sidewall are in frictional contact with an inner surface of the third sidewall. 
     Other features and advantages will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional features and advantages included within this description be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the claims, are incorporated in, and constitute a part of this specification. The detailed description and illustrated embodiments described serve to explain the principles defined by the claims. 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a perspective view of a food carton; 
         FIG. 1B  illustrates a plan view of a sheet of material that may be formed into the food carton of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates operations for assembling the sheet of material of  FIG. 1B  to form the carton of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates a tapered sidewall of the food carton; and 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates a group of food cartons in a stacked configuration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The exemplary embodiments below describe a food carton for storing a food item, such as a slice of pizza. Generally, the food carton is formed from a sheet of material that defines a bottom panel; a first, second, and third sidewall; and a cover. The bottom panel; first, second, and third sidewall; and the cover are configured to be folded about various foldable edges to form the carton. The carton is configured to maintain a closed configuration without the use of adhesives and is further configured to substantially prevent juices, crumbs, and the like from exiting an interior space defined by the bottom panel; first, second, and third sidewall; and the cover. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates a perspective view of a food carton  100 , hereinafter referred to as the carton  100 .  FIG. 1B  illustrates a plan view of a sheet of material that may be formed into the carton  100  of  FIG. 1A . The sheet of material may correspond to a corrugated paper material or a different material suitably rigid for storing food items. An F-fluted sheet of material may be utilized to improve heat retention of the carton. In the plan view, dashed lines correspond to fold lines and solid lines are cuts. 
     The carton  100  includes a substantially triangular bottom panel  102  ( FIG. 1B ), a first sidewall  105 A, a second sidewall  105 B, a third side wall  110 , and a cover  115 . The first sidewall  105 A and the second sidewall  105 B are connected to a first and second foldable edge  130 A and  130 B, respectively, of the bottom panel  102 . The first sidewall  105 A may include a flap member  127  connected to a forward foldable edge  129  that is configured to be folded inwardly against an inner surface of the second sidewall  105 B. 
     The third sidewall  110  is connected to a third foldable edge  135  of the panel  102 . The cover  115  is connected to a top foldable edge  140  of the third sidewall  110 . 
     A first and second tab  125 A and  125 B extend from a top edge of the first sidewall  105 A and the second sidewall  105 B, respectively. The first and second tab  125 A and  125 B may be substantially centered along the respective top edges. The cover  115  defines a first and second slot  150 A and  150 B substantially adjacent to first and second edges of the cover  150  that are positioned and sized to receive the first and second tab  125 A and  125 B, respectively. 
     In some implementations, the cover may define a first and second extension region  120 A and  120 B on the first and second edges, positioned adjacent to the first and second slots  150 A and  150 B. The first and second extension regions  120 A and  120 B may compensate for any loss in structural integrity of the cover  115  associated with the first and second slots  150 A and  150 B and may lessen the possibility of a slot  120 A and  120 B tearing. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates operations for assembling the carton  100 . In the assembled configuration, the bottom panel  102 , first sidewall  105 A, second sidewall  105 B, and third sidewall  110  form a space within which a food item may be placed. For example, a slice of pizza may be placed within the space. At block  200 , a sheet of material that defines the bottom panel  102 , first sidewall  105 A, second sidewall  105 B, third sidewall  110 , and the cover  115  may be provided. 
     At block  205 , the flap member  127 , the first sidewall  105 A and the second sidewall  105 B are simultaneously folded in an inward direction, so that the flap member  127  comes to rest against an inner surface of the second sidewall  105 B. 
     At block  210 , the cover  115  may be folded about the top edge  140  of the third sidewall  110 . 
     At block  215 , the first and second tabs  125 A and  125 B may be inserted into the first and second slots  150 A and  150   b  to place the carton  100  in a closed configuration. The first and second tabs  125 A and  125 B may be configured to releasably lock the cover  115  in the closed configuration and to maintain the first and second sidewalls  105 A and  105 B in a folded configuration. 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , in the closed configuration, a first side edge  130 A and a second side edge  130 B of the third sidewall  110  extend beyond a rear edge  155 A of the first sidewall  105 A and a rear edge  155 B of the second sidewall  105 B, respectively, so that the rear edge  155 A of the first sidewall  105 A and the rear edge  155 B of the second sidewall  105 B come into direct contact with an inner surface of the third sidewall  110 . 
     In some implementations, the first and second tabs  125 A and  125 B and the first and second slots  150 A and  150   b  are positioned so that gaps that may otherwise exist between the respective rear edges  155   a  and  115 B and the surface of the third sidewall  110  are eliminated. In other words, the first and second tabs  125 A and  125 B and the first and second slots  150 A and  150   b  cooperate to pull the respective rear edges  155 A and  155 B snugly against the inner surface so that no gaps exist and so that frictional forces between the rear edges  155 A and  155 B and the inner surface prevent substantial movement of the rear edges  155 A and  155 B. The tight fit between the rear edges  155 A and  155 B and the inner surface may prevent juices, crumbs, and the like from exiting the carton  100 . The flap member  127  may similarly prevent juices, crumbs, and the like from exiting from a forward end of the carton  100  by virtue of the resilient force holding the flap member  127  against the inner surface of the second sidewall  105 B. Thus, the carton  100  advantageously prevent juices from leaking out without the need for adhesives of any kind. 
     In some implementations, the third sidewall  110  may define one or more ventilation cutouts  145 . The ventilation cutouts  145  are configured to be opened to enable ventilation of the closed space in the closed configuration. For example, the ventilation cutouts may be popped out to enable ventilation of the carton  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A , in yet other implementations, the first sidewall  105 A and second sidewall  105 B are tapered. Tapering of the sidewalls  105 A and  105 B enables, for example, stacking of the cartons  100  without staggering the cartons  100 , as shown in  FIG. 3B . 
     While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the claims. Therefore, the embodiments described are only provided to aid in understanding the claims and do not limit the scope of the claims.