Patent Publication Number: US-6209784-B1

Title: Locking sandwich collar

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an improved cylindrical collar as typically used in the fast food industry for placing around specialty sandwiches, such as a multilayered hamburger or such, thereby maintaining the lateral alignment of the sandwich bun halves, meat patty, and selected toppings when wrapped in a paper sandwich wrap or placed in a clamshell container. Also the collar quickens the building of a sandwich as the collar as serves an external form when the sandwich is assembled within the collar. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed herein is an improved, cylindrical, paperboard, fast food, sandwich collar for placing around a specialty sandwich such as a multilayer hamburger or such. The collar blank is cut from flat paperboard stock in the form of an elongated rectangle which is folded back over itself having its free ends adhesively attached to one another whereby the resulting flat preform, suitable for shipping, may be expandingly opened to form a cylindrical configuration. Diametrically opposing tongue like tabs are cut into the paperboard surface. Each tab is cut on three sides thereby being hingedly connected to the collar by its uncut side. 
     When the flat preform is expanded into its cylindrical shape the tabs act as cantilever springs upon the inside surface of the collar thereby maintaining the open cylindrical shape for inserting therein a specialty food product. 
     Although the collar, as disclosed herein is directed to the fast food industry it is to be understood that the invention disclosed and taught may be used for a variety of end uses other than a sandwich wrap in the fast food industry. For example, the collar may be used as a spacer within a shipping container to encircle and protect damageable products during shipping. Further the collar taught herein may be used as a temporary arm band to identify persons of authority or of a select group. Still further the collar may be given a crown like configuration and used by children or issued as a promotional tool for advertising. Other end uses will surely come to mind by imaginable persons. 
     Because of the wide range of possible uses for my collapsible collar the end use thereof is not to be construed as applicable solely to the fast food industry as a sandwich packaging device. The sandwich packaging device, as disclosed herein, was merely the catalyst for discovery of the broad invention taught and claimed below. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 presents a pictorial view of my improved band in its erected configuration ready for use. 
     FIG. 2 presents a plan view of the paperboard blank from which the band is formed. 
     FIG. 3 presents a top plan view of the blank as shown in FIG. 2 after the first fold is made. 
     FIG. 4 presents a top plan view of the blank as shown in FIG. 3 after the second fold is made and represents the non-erected preform of the band as illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 presents the bottom view of the band preform as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 presents a sectional view taken along line  6 — 6  illustrating the general position of the locking tab prior to being snapped into locking engagement. 
     FIG. 7 presents a sectional view taken along line  7 — 7  illustrating the general position of the locking tab after it is snapped into locking engagement. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 presents a pictorial view of my improved band  10  in its open functional configuration useful for placing around the periphery of a bun type specialty sandwich, not shown, such as a hamburger, barbecue, or other suitable food products. 
     Band  10  is constructed from an elongated, rectangular, paperboard blank  20  illustrated in FIG.  2 . Blank  20  comprises three primary sections, a center section  21 , and two end sections  23  and  27 . Separating center section  21  and end section  23  are two score lines  22 A and  22 B extending from and generally perpendicular to the blank&#39;s free edge as illustrated in FIG.  2 . Score lines  22 A and  22 B extend from the peripheral edge of blank  20  inwardly for approximately one third, or less, of the blank width as shown in FIG.  2 . Extending between score lines  22 A and  22 B is laterally extending, trapezoidal shaped tab  26  formed by cut lines  30 A,  30 B, and  30 C Similarly to sections  21  and  23 , sections  21  and  27  are separated by tab  28  and score lines  24 A and  24 B. Although a trapezoidal shape is preferred for tabs  26  and  28 , other configurations are possible. For example cut lines  30 A and  30 C may be replaced by a curved cut line. 
     The preform  40  for band  10 , as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, is made by folding end section  27  180 degrees about score lines  24 A and  24 B so as to overlie a portion of center section  21 , as illustrated in FIG. 3, thereby causing tab  28  to extend laterally outward from the score lines. A line of adhesive  32  is placed on the top side of tongue  32  and end section  23  is folded 180 degrees about score lines  22 A and  22 B so as to overlie center section  21  and end section  27  including adhesive line  32  whereby the inside of end section  23  is adhered to the outer side of end section  27  by adhesive line  32 . Thus preform  40 , as illustrated in FIG. 4, results. FIG. 5 illustrates the reverse side of preform  40 , illustrated in FIG. 4, showing open apertures  52  and  54 , and their associated, laterally extending, tabs  26  and  28  created by folding over end sections  23  and  27  as described above. Preform  40  provides a convenient configuration for shipping large quantities of my improved sandwich band. 
     The band  10 , as illustrated in FIG. 1, is simply formed from preform  40  by expanding preform  40  into an open circular configuration whereby tabs  26  and  28  assume the configuration as illustrated in FIG.  6 . Tabs  26  and  28  extend linearly outward from the curved periphery of center section  21  as illustrated in FIG.  6 . Tabs  26  and  28  are then snapped inward through their associated apertures  52  and  54  assuming the position as illustrated in FIG.  7 . 
     When tabs  26  and  28  are snapped inside the arc A of the circular band  10  the free end of the tab frictionally engages the inside surface of center section  21  as illustrated in FIG.  7 . Tabs  26  and  28 , once snapped inside apertures  52  and  54 , will remain locked in place because the straight line length L of the tabs is equal to the arc length A of the curved band from the score lines  22  and  24  to the opposite end of the associated aperture  52  and  54  respectively is slightly longer than the actual chord length of arc A. Thus tabs  26  and  28  act as cantilever beams thereby supporting the load placed upon the tab (beam) end by center section  21  thereby maintaining the free standing circular shape of band  10 . 
     While there has been described hereinabove a preferred embodiment of the invention, variations and modifications and other end uses thereof will occur to those skilled in the art once they become acquainted with the basic concepts of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims shall be construed to include all such variations, modifications and end uses that may fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention as clamed below.