Patent Publication Number: US-2017362008-A1

Title: Tamper resistant food container

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention disclosed herein relates generally to containers for freshly made food. More particularly, the invention relates to delivery containers with a tamper resistant seal for delivering freshly baked pizzas. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Fast foods are foods sold in a restaurant with preheated or precooked ingredients. Sometimes, customers prefer fast food as a take away or home delivery option. Typically, fast food restaurants or stores deliver the food to customers in packaged form. Existing containers include containers made of cardboard panels, which are folded to define a space for storing the food, for example, pizzas, burgers, etc. However, in the existing containers, the top panels and bottom panels are interlocked to seal the container. This allows the stored content of the container to be tampered without much effort. In certain cases, contaminants may enter the container if the container is not closed carefully. Conventionally, the pizza delivery industry is focused on delivering a product as fresh as possible with less emphasis on food safety. Typically, most delivery personnel could be anyone with a car with no food safety training or food handling experience. It is not unreasonable to assume that a hungry or disgruntled employee could easily tamper with the container to cause indirect harm to the consumer. Thirty-five percent of most food borne illnesses are the direct result of unhygienic employees and most, if not all, are because of careless delivery personnel handling of the food items. 
     A food storage container, which is sealed securely to prevent tampering and unwanted entry of contaminants, is required. Furthermore, a customer may order multiple items from a fast food restaurant. For example, a customer may order a large pizza along with a medium pizza or garlic bread. Typically, in such cases, each item is packed separately, which is disadvantageous to delivery personnel. With multiple boxes or containers to be delivered, the delivery personnel may mix up or make mistakes while delivering the order. It is therefore advantageous if food items constituting multiple orders from a single customer is stored in a single container. A container, which stores multiple food items, is required. 
     Hence, there is a long felt but unresolved need for a food storage container, which is sealed securely to prevent tampering and unwanted entry of contaminants. Furthermore, there is a need for a container, which stores multiple food items. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further disclosed in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     The invention disclosed herein addresses the above-mentioned need for a food storage container, which is sealed securely to prevent tampering and unwanted entry of contaminants. Furthermore, the invention addresses the need for a container, which stores multiple food items. The tamper resistant food container disclosed herein comprises a top panel, a bottom panel, and an adhesive strip. The top panel comprises a front section, a rear section, a front wall, opposing side walls, and a tear away section. The tear away section is positioned on the front wall of the top panel. The bottom panel comprises a front wall, a rear wall, and opposing side walls. The rear wall of the bottom panel is hingedly connected to the rear section of the top panel. The top panel of the tamper resistant food container and the bottom panel of the tamper resistant food container define a space therebetween for storing food. The adhesive strip is positioned on an outer surface of the front wall of the bottom panel for securely sealing the top panel of the tamper resistant food container to the bottom panel of the tamper resistant food container. A user accesses the stored food from the tamper resistant food container by removing the tear away section. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, exemplary constructions of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the specific methods and structures disclosed herein. The description of a method step or a structure referenced by a numeral in a drawing is applicable to the description of that method step or structure shown by that same numeral in any subsequent drawing herein. 
         FIG. 1  exemplarily illustrates a top perspective view of a tamper resistant food container. 
         FIG. 2  exemplarily illustrates a top perspective view of a tamper resistant food container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  exemplarily illustrates a top perspective view of a tamper resistant food container  100 . The tamper resistant food container  100  comprises a top panel  101 , a bottom panel  102 , and an adhesive strip  103 . The top panel  101  comprises a front section  101   a,  a rear section  101   b,  opposing side walls  101   c,  a tear away section  101   d,  and a front wall  101   e.  In an embodiment, the tear away section  101   d  is positioned on the front wall  101   e  of the tamper resistant food container  100 . The user inserts his/her finger to tear or remove the tear away section  101   d  on the top panel  101  of the tamper resistant food container  100 . The user then accesses the stored food item, for example, a pizza, etc., from the top panel  101  of the tamper resistant food container  100 . The bottom panel  102  comprises a front wall  102   a,  a rear wall  102   b,  and opposing side walls  102   c.  In an embodiment, the rear wall  102   b  of the bottom panel  102  is hingedly connected to the rear section  101   b  of the top panel  101 . In an embodiment, the top panel  101  and the bottom panel  102  of the tamper resistant food container  100  are folded into a hexagonal configuration. 
     The top panel  101  of the tamper resistant food container  100  and the bottom panel  102  of the tamper resistant food container  100  define a space  104  therebetween for storing food. The adhesive strip  103  is positioned on the front wall  102   a  of the bottom panel  102  for securely sealing the top panel  101  of the tamper resistant food container  100  to the bottom panel  102  of the tamper resistant food container  100 . The delivery personnel places the food item, for example, a pizza, etc., in the space  104 , and then removes the protective strip on the adhesive strip  103  and seals the tamper resistant food container  100  by attaching the top panel  101  to the bottom panel  102 . Now, the only way of accessing the food item is by removing the tear away section  101   d  of the top panel  101 . This ensures that the food item is not tampered with unnecessarily. The customer accesses the stored food from the tamper resistant food container  100  by removing the tear away section  101   d  of the tamper resistant food container  100  when he/she wishes to eat the food item. In an embodiment, the tamper resistant food container  100  comprises vents  105  for releasing moisture positioned on the bottom panel  102 . In an embodiment, the tear away section  101   d  has a pull-tab for enabling a user to remove or tear the tear away section  101   d  of the top panel  101  of the tamper resistant food container  100  to access the food stored in the tamper resistant food container  100 . 
       FIG. 2  exemplarily illustrates a top perspective view of a tamper resistant food container  100 . In an embodiment, the tamper resistant food container  100  is made of a recyclable material, for example, a recyclable cardboard material, etc. The tamper resistant food container  100  comprises a top panel  101 , a bottom panel  102 , and an adhesive strip  103 . The top panel  101  comprises a front section  101   a,  a rear section  101   b,  opposing side walls  101   c,  a tear away section  101   d,  and a front wall  101   e.  The bottom panel  102  comprises a front wall  102   a,  a rear wall  102   b,  and opposing side walls  102   c.  In an embodiment, the rear wall  102   b  of the bottom panel  102  is hingedly connected to the rear section  101   b  of the top panel  101 . In an embodiment, the top panel  101  and the bottom panel  102  of the tamper resistant food container  100  are folded into a rectangular configuration as disclosed in the detailed description of  FIG. 1 . In the unfolded state, the top panel  101  and the bottom panel  102  of the tamper resistant food container  100  together have a length of about 34 inches and a width of about 16.5 inches. In another embodiment, the top panel  101  and the bottom panel  102  of the tamper resistant food container  100  together has a length of about 40 inches and a width of about 20.5 inches. 
     The adhesive strip  103  is positioned on the front wall  102   a  of the bottom panel  102  for securely sealing the top panel  101  of the tamper resistant food container  100  to the bottom panel  102  of the tamper resistant food container  100 . The adhesive strip  103  is used when closing the tamper resistant food container  100  by removing a protective strip. In an embodiment, the adhesive used meets industrial food safety standards. The securely sealed tamper resistant food container  100  will thus keep all foreign objects or contaminants out of the tamper resistant food container  100 . If the tamper resistant food container  100  has been tampered with, it will clearly be visible to the consumer as the only way to access the sealed tamper resistant food container  100  is by tearing the tear away section  101   d  of the top panel  101 . Additionally, a fast food restaurant employee, for example, a manager, a cook, food handler, etc., signs on the top panel  101  ensuring the food was exactly to order, proper food handling was conducted, and the delivery personnel received and delivered the product as such. This is done based on the operator&#39;s requirement. In an embodiment, the tamper resistant food container  100  is provided with vents  105  positioned on the bottom panel  102  of the tamper resistant food container  100 . The vents  105  enable moisture from the hot food to escape and ensure the food remains as fresh as possible for consumption. In an embodiment, multiple secondary containers, which are smaller in dimensions and are capable of being housed by the tamper resistant food container  100 , are provided. This enables a dispatcher to store multiple food items securely within the same tamper resistant food container  100 . 
     The foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the tamper resistant food container  100 , disclosed herein. While the tamper resistant food container  100  has been described with reference to various embodiments, it is understood that the words, which have been used herein, are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Further, although the tamper resistant food container  100 , has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials, and embodiments, the tamper resistant food container  100  is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the tamper resistant food container  100  extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art, having the benefit of the teachings of this specification, may effect numerous modifications thereto and changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the tamper resistant food container  100  disclosed herein in their aspects.