Patent Publication Number: US-2011068156-A1

Title: Box-Shaped Container for Hot Foods

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns an improved box-shaped container for hot foods, particularly suited to breathe the steam sent out by the hot food itself. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is known that the habit to buy and eat take-away foods is becoming increasingly popular, due to the need to limit the time required to eat and to save on the costs of eating out. 
     On the other hand, in order to be able to guarantee that the food purchased and taken away maintains its initial characteristics as long as possible, said food is usually placed inside containers specifically produced for this purpose. 
     In particular, it is necessary to maintain the initial temperature of the food as long as possible, so that the food can be more appreciated by the consumer. 
     For example, in the case of the purchase of take-away food like pizzas and the like, these are usually placed inside apposite cardboard containers having specific characteristics, in such a way as to prevent them from cooling down during transport. 
     These containers, however, have structural characteristics that most of the times do not allow them to provide total insulation from the external environment. 
     In particular, the above mentioned containers are provided with openings on their sides, in such a way as to allow the steam generated by the hot food to be breathed towards the outside and consequently prevent it from condensing on the inner sides while at the same time maintaining the crispness of the food. 
     On the other side, owing to the presence of these openings, also the air of the external environment, whose temperature is lower than that of the food, flows into the container and, disadvantageously, after a few minutes the food reaches a temperature that is much lower than its temperature at the moment of purchase. 
     Therefore, a first drawback posed by this type of containers is represented by the fact that they are not able to maintain the food at a constant temperature for more than just a few minutes. 
     It is also known that the openings present on the sides of the container are not capable of breathing in an optimal manner the steam generated by the heat of the pizza. 
     Consequently, part of this steam tends to condensate on the inner sides to of the container, so that the pizza disadvantageously loses its crispness and becomes humid and soft. 
     It is known, furthermore, that on the market there are containers offering solutions and means suited to solve the problem of the steam that is generated inside the container and that affects the initial characteristics of the food, as previously explained. 
     These solutions, however, do not guarantee optimal elimination of the internal steam, due to the fact that the part of steam that cannot flow out condensates on the inner sides of the container itself. 
     Furthermore, direct communication between the inside of the container and the external environment does not allow the food to maintain a suitable temperature and to be appreciated by the consumer. 
     In particular, there are specific containers that are provided with openings on the cover, so that the steam, being hotter than the surrounding air, flows out and upwards to a greater extent than in the traditional pizza containers mentioned above, in such a way that the pizza remains sufficiently crispy. 
     Even the slots provided in this solution, however, communicate directly with the external environment and therefore also in this case allow the colder external air to enter the container and cool the food. 
     In conclusion, it is known that both the traditional containers and the containers providing special solutions for take-away food and in particular pizzas and the like, carried out according to the known art, pose two fundamental drawbacks that are listed here below. 
     A first important drawback lies in that the openings present on the sides of the packages do not allow the steam to flow out in an optimal manner, thus making the food and in particularly pizzas humid and soft. 
     A second important drawback posed by the traditional containers and in particular by containers with special solutions, which are provided with a variable number of openings in communication with the external environment, lies in that said containers are not capable of maintaining the initial temperature of the food for more than just a few minutes during transport. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention intends to overcome the drawbacks listed above. 
     It is a first object of the invention to provide an improved box-shaped container for hot foods that makes it possible to eliminate in an optimal manner the steam generated inside the container where the food is placed, in such a way as to maintain its crispness. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide an improved box-shaped container for hot foods that makes it possible to maintain the initial temperature of the food for a longer time compared to the solutions of the known art. 
     The objects described above are achieved by an improved box-shaped container for hot foods having the characteristics illustrated in the main claim. 
     Further characteristics of the improved container for foods are described in the dependent claims. 
     Advantageously, the improved container allows the introduction of innovative solutions aimed at achieving the objects listed above, substantially maintaining the same production method used for the traditional containers belonging to the known art. 
     Therefore, still advantageously, also the costs for producing the individual containers remain almost equal to the costs for producing the containers of the known art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The objects and advantages described above will be highlighted in greater detail in the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention that is supplied by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows an axonometric view of the box-shaped container that is the subject of the invention, with open lid and containing a pizza; 
         FIG. 2  shows an axonometric view of the box-shaped container of the invention when closed; 
         FIG. 3  shows a top view of the punched piece of cardboard from which the box-shaped container of the invention is obtained; 
         FIG. 4  shows an axonometric view of a detail of the duct present inside the inner compartment of the box-shaped container of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows an axonometric view of a detail of the duct present inside the inner compartment of the box-shaped container of the invention, on the lateral slots of which one-way valve means are provided; 
         FIG. 6  shows an axonometric view of the box-shaped container that is the subject of the invention during the folding stage for the creation of the ducts; 
         FIG. 7  shows a front view of the box-shaped container of the invention, where the steam formed inside the inner compartment owing to the presence of a pizza tends to flow into the ducts through the lateral slots. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The box-shaped container for hot foods that is the subject of the invention is visible as a whole in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , where it is represented in an axonometric view and indicated by  1 , and also in  FIG. 3 , which shows a top view of the punched piece of cardboard F from which the box-shaped container of the invention is obtained. 
     In the particular embodiment of the invention described herein, the box-shaped container  1  is used and is sized to contain a take-away pizza P. 
     In other embodiments of the invention, not described herein, the box-shaped container  1  of the invention can be produced in different sizes, depending on the specific type of food that is going to be placed therein. 
     As can be observed in  FIG. 3 , the above mentioned box-shaped container comprises a bottom  2  substantially in the shape of a parallelogram, provided with four sides  3  ( 3   a ,  3   b ,  3   c  and  3   d ), each one of which is connected to each side of the bottom itself through a folding line  4 . 
     Said sides  3  are successively placed in a position substantially orthogonal to the bottom  2 , in such a way as to define the inner compartment  5 , where the above mentioned pizza P is placed, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The box-shaped container  1  is furthermore provided with a lid  6 , which makes it possible to close the top of the inner compartment  5 , so that after insertion the pizza P can remain insulated from the external environment. 
     In order to be able to close the inner compartment  5  in an optimal manner, it is necessary for the lid  6  to have the same shape and size as the bottom  2 , which in this case has the shape of a parallelogram. 
     In other embodiments of the invention, neither described nor illustrated herein, both the bottom  2  and the lid  6  may come in different shapes. 
     In the particular example of embodiment described herein, the lid  6  is connected, by means of a folding line  7 , to the upper edge of one of the four sides  3  ( 3   a ) and arranged so that it rests on the upper edges of the three remaining sides  3   b ,  3   c  and  3   d  and secured to one of them through fixing means  8 , as can be observed in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     In different embodiments of the invention, the lid  6  can be completely detached from the rest of the box-shaped container  1  and can rest on the edges of the four sides  3  and be fixed to at least two of them through fixing means. 
     According to the invention, at the level of two of the sides  3 , opposing each other, two ducts  9  are defined whose length L is equal to the length of the entire side  3 . 
     In the particular example of embodiment described herein two ducts  9   b  and  9   c  are defined on the two sides  3   b  and  3   c , on which the lid  6  comes to rest. 
     It cannot be excluded that in different embodiments of the invention said ducts  9  may be defined in the other two sides  3 . 
     In different embodiments of the invention it is possible to provide one duct  9  only, at the level of one side  3 , or even three or four ducts  9  at the level of all the sides  3 . 
     Finally, it cannot be excluded that said ducts must be provided on the entire length L of the side  3 , but they may also be shorter than the latter. 
     As regards the single duct  9 , as shown in  FIG. 4  it is provided with two circular head openings  10   a  and  10   b  which ensure communication with the external environment. 
     Other embodiments of the invention, not described herein, may include one or more than two head openings  10  having a circular or different shape. 
     Furthermore, the ducts  9   b  and  9   c , as can be observed in  FIG. 4 , are provided with three lateral slots  11  ( 11   a ,  11   b  and  11   c ) that place them in communication with the inner compartment  5  where the pizza P is placed. 
     Said three lateral slots  11   a ,  11   b  and  11   c  are rectangular in shape and are obtained in succession along the axis α, parallel to the long side of the inner face  12  of the duct itself. 
     In different embodiments of the invention a different number of lateral slots  11  may be provided, and these may also be different in shape, on condition that they ensure communication between the ducts  9  and the inner compartment  5 . 
     For example, the lateral slots  11  can be circular and more than three, always arranged along the axis α, parallel to the long side of the inner face  12  of the duct itself. 
     The description provided above clearly shows that the inner compartment  5  of the box-shaped container  1  that is the subject of the invention, where the pizza P is placed, does not communicate directly with the external environment, as the above mentioned ducts  9   b  and  9   c  are interposed therebetween. 
     In this way, the external air is not likely to reach the inner compartment  5  and therefore the temperature of the pizza P, or the hot food in general, is maintained for a longer time than guaranteed by the box-shaped containers of the known art, thus achieving the second object of the invention. 
     According to a variant of the embodiment described herein, to improve insulation between the ducts  9   b  and  9   c  and the inner compartment  5 , it is possible to provide one-way valve means  13  at the level of the lateral slots  10  present on the inner face  12 , in such a way as to ensure the passage of air only from the inner compartment  5  to the ducts  9  and not in the opposite direction, as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     In the particular embodiment of the invention described and represented in  FIG. 5 , said one-way valve means  13  are constituted by thin flexible elements  14 . 
     In other construction forms, said one-way valve means  13  can be of any type, provided that they belong to the known art. 
     In particular, concerning the creation of each individual duct  9   b  and  9   c , in the embodiment described herein, as can be observed in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , it is substantially in the shape of a parallelepiped and comprises an outer face  15 , corresponding to the side  3 , which is connected with the bottom  2  through the first folding line  4  and arranged in a substantially orthogonal position in relation to the bottom itself. 
     Furthermore, an upper edge  16  is provided, connected to the above mentioned outer face  15  through a second folding line  17 . 
     The upper edge  16  is in its turn connected to the inner face  12 , already mentioned above, through a third folding line  18 . 
     Finally, the inner face  12  is connected through a fourth folding line  19  to a lower edge  20  that will come to rest on the bottom  2 . 
     In fact, the folding operation carried out following the same direction indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 6 , along the folding lines previously described, makes it possible to create the above mentioned duct  9  with its lower edge  20  resting on the bottom  2  of the box-shaped container  1 , as already mentioned. 
     In different construction forms, the ducts  9   b  and  9   c  may be carried out in a different manner, provided that they comply with the characteristics described above. 
     According to a different embodiment of the invention, for example, the ducts  9   b  and  9   c  can be pre-assembled and then applied to the surface of the bottom  2 , resting on the sides  3   b  and  3   c.    
     Preferably but not necessarily, the material of which the box-shaped container  1  of the invention is made is substantially cardboard. 
     From an operational point of view, the box-shaped containers  1  of the invention are supplied to the pizza parlours that are going to use them in the form of flat punched pieces of cardboard as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Before insertion of the pizza P inside the inner compartment  5 , the operator folds the four sides  3  so that they are orthogonal to the bottom  2  and connects them to each other via connection means that are not illustrated in the figures. 
     The operator then forms the two ducts  9   b  and  9   c  at the level of the two sides  3   b  and  3   c , folding the cardboard along the folding lines, as previously explained and shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     When the pizza P is ready, the operator, in succession, rapidly places it inside the inner compartment  5 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , and closes the lid  6 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     At this point, inside the closed inner compartment  5  the heat emitted by the pizza P generates a high quantity of steam V that, being lighter than the surrounding ambient air, tends to flow outwards through the lateral slots  11  present on the inner face  12 , and does not remain inside the compartment itself. 
     As the steam V enters the ducts  9   b  and  9   c , it finds a colder environment and thus tends to condensate and prevents the ducts  9   b  and  9   c  from being saturated with steam V. 
     In this way, other steam V that successively forms inside the inner compartment  5  can flow towards the ducts  9   b  and  9   c , until it is almost completely released. 
     This procedure, therefore, prevents the condensation of steam inside the inner compartment  5 , allowing the latter to remain a substantially dry and hot environment. 
     It is therefore clear, according to the above description, that the improved box-shaped container  1  for hot foods allows the set objects to be achieved. 
     In particular, the invention achieves the object to provide an improved box-shaped container for hot foods that makes it possible to eliminate in an optimal manner the steam generated inside the compartment where the food is placed, in such a way as to maintain its crispness. 
     It further achieves the object to provide an improved box-shaped container for hot foods that makes it possible to maintain the initial temperature of the food for a longer period compared to the solutions of the known art. 
     In the construction stage, the box-shaped container for hot foods can be modified and variants of the same, which are neither described nor illustrated herein, may be carried out in order to improve its functionality and make it more economic to produce. 
     The construction variants described herein and others not mentioned must all be considered protected by the present patent, provided that they fall within the scope of the claims expressed below.