Abstract:
A desiccant container is positioned within a box for delivering a pizza to absorb moisture and resist the crust from getting soggy, or the box from getting soaked with moisture, in order to deliver the pizza with a delicious taste and texture.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/424,622, filed Nov. 7, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention generally relates to a box for delivering an oven-heated pizza with a taste and texture conforming to its state when the pizza was freshly prepared and removed from the oven.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    A pizzeria bakes a flat piece of dough topped with a tomato sauce and cheese, and often with other toppings, in an oven to make a pizza with a crisp, dry crust. Although the taste and texture of the pizza are optimum and best enjoyed when the freshly prepared pizza is eaten at the pizzeria, the pizza is often eaten off-premises at a consumer&#39;s home or office by being delivered in an individual paperboard box carried by a delivery person, often in an automobile to expedite the delivery.  
           [0006]    The tomato sauce, as well as certain toppings, have an inherent high moisture content which is partially driven out during baking, but which continues to be emitted even after removal from the oven due to the high heat contained in the pizza. This emitted moisture becomes trapped in the box which is closed during delivery.  
           [0007]    The trapped moisture is absorbed at least in part by the crust which, over time, tends to become soggy. The trapped moisture is also absorbed by the walls of the box, especially the bottom wall on which the pizza is placed. The bottom wall becomes, over time, soaked with the moisture, and loses its structural rigidity and also causes the pizza to stick to the bottom wall, thereby imparting an odd “cardboard” taste to the pizza.  
           [0008]    Attempts have been made in the prior art to deliver a pizza without a soggy crust, without an odd taste, and without soaked boxes. Such attempts have included shortening the delivery time by racing the delivery automobile to its destination, providing vents in the delivery box to allow some of the trapped moisture to escape, providing a special compartment in the delivery automobile equipped with air blowers and ducts for circulating heated air around the box, and providing a special pouch in which the box is contained, again for maintaining the pizza warm, just to mention the attention paid to this delivery problem.  
           [0009]    Experience has shown, however, that such attempts have been less than satisfactory. The more comprehensive attempts are beyond the means of the local pizza parlor and, even for the major pizza chains with greater financial resources, the pizza often arrives, just as before, with an undesirable taste and texture which detracts from its appeal.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    Accordingly, one object of this invention is to deliver a pizza with a taste and texture conforming to those of a freshly prepared pizza when initially removed from the oven.  
           [0011]    Another object of this invention is to deliver a pizza without a soggy crust and odd taste.  
           [0012]    Still another object of this invention is to deliver a pizza in an unsoaked box.  
           [0013]    Yet another object of this invention is to enable a pizzeria, even of modest financial means, to convert a plain, paperboard box into one suitable for delivering a delicious pizza.  
         FEATURES OF THE INVENTION  
         [0014]    In keeping with these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of this invention, briefly stated, resides in a moisture-trapping device comprising a container, a desiccant within the container, and means for positioning the container within a box for delivering a pizza. The container enables moisture to pass therethrough and be absorbed by the desiccant for removal. The desiccant can be, for example, montmorillonite clay, silica gel, synthetic zeolite, calcium sulfate, or calcium oxide. Silica gel is preferred because it is stable, non-corrosive and non-toxic. The desiccant is preferably renewable by baking.  
           [0015]    The desiccant container is positioned within the box in several ways. For example, a double-sided adhesive tape can be used to adhere the container anywhere within the box, preferably on the lid or cover, or in one or more corners of the box. A peel-off protective layer is removable from the tape prior to affixing the container in the box.  
           [0016]    Another embodiment involves adhering the desiccant container on a pizza accessory known as a tripod. The tripod has legs inserted into the center of the pizza and a raised abutment which prevents the lid from collapsing onto the upper surface of the pizza. The desiccant container is optimally positioned to entrap moisture emitted by the pizza.  
           [0017]    The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an opened delivery box with a pizza therein, and equipped with moisture-trapping devices in accordance with this invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1; and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    Reference numeral  10  generally identifies a paperboard box for delivering a pizza  20  and includes a lid or cover  12  hinged to a tray  14 . The tray  14  has upstanding walls  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  and a bottom wall  30  on which the pizza  20  is placed. The lid  12  has flaps  32 ,  34 ,  36  and is folded about the fold line  38 . The flaps are positioned inside of the walls  22 ,  24 ,  26 , respectively. The lid has a top wall  40  overlying the bottom wall  30  in the closed position of the box.  
         [0022]    Omitted from FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity are cutouts in the box which vent the interior. Also, the walls  22 ,  24 ,  26  are typically not of one-piece as shown, but are folded into the positions shown by cooperating projections and slits formed at the corners between the walls  22 ,  26  and the wall  24 . As described so far, the box  10  is entirely conventional.  
         [0023]    In accordance with this invention, a moisture-trapping device  42  is positioned within the box. The device includes a container  44  (see FIG. 2), a desiccant  46  within the container, and an adhesive  48  for adhering the container  44  inside the box. As shown in FIG. 2, the container  44  is adhered to a central area of the top wall  40  at an elevated position above the pizza. As shown in FIG. 3, the container  44  is adhered to a raised abutment ring  52  of a tripod  50  which is an accessory having three legs connected to the abutment ring  52  and conventionally used to prevent the top wall  40  from collapsing into the pizza. The ring  52  has a large central opening  54  so that the container is adhered on an annulus bounding the opening.  
         [0024]    The desiccant can be, for example, montmorillonite clay, silica gel, synthetic zeolite, calcium sulfate, or calcium oxide. Silica gel is preferred because it is stable, non-corrosive and non-toxic. The desiccant is preferably renewable by baking.  
         [0025]    The container  44  is porous to enable the moisture emitted by the pizza to pass and be absorbed by the desiccant. The overhead placement of the device  42  above the pizza, as well as the central opening  54 , enables the moisture to unobstructedly pass to and through the container for entrapment by the desiccant.  
         [0026]    The device can be placed anywhere within the box and not merely on the top wall  40 . For example, the rear wall  28  is a convenient area at which to locate the device.  
         [0027]    The adhesive  48  is preferably a double-sided tape having a peelable protective strip for covering the adhesive. Once peeled away to expose the adhesive underneath the strip, the device can simply be pressed onto the desired position in the box. The positioning of the device can be easily performed by pizzeria staff or, if desired, can be done at the factory where the boxes are produced by the manufacturer.  
         [0028]    When the device is incorporated in the tripod  50 , the placement of the device is, again, either performed by the pizzeria staff, or by the tripod manufacturer.  
         [0029]    The device is inexpensive and is typically discarded with the box or, in the case of the tripod, it is conceivable that the tripod can be recycled.  
         [0030]    Although the device is shown as being used in a hinged box, it is also contemplated that a box having a separate tray and lid could be used.  
         [0031]    It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, also may find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.  
         [0032]    While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a pizza delivery box, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.  
         [0033]    Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.  
         [0034]    What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.