Abstract:
A clamshell type container formed from a blank that includes upper and lower sections hingedly connected to one another along a common edge. A circular region defined by perforations is formed in the upper section, and is adapted to receive a cup therein. In its intended use, the cup would contain a dipping sauce that is complementary to the food product housed in the container.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/595,570, filed Jul. 15, 2005, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to disposable containers and more specifically to containers of the so-called clamshell type erectable from a flat blank to a three-dimensional structure having two, hingedly connected sections relatively movable between open and closed positions.  
         [0003]     Many types of fast-food products are served to the consumer in disposable paperboard or plastic containers specifically designed for a particular product. A popular form of such containers is that known as clamshell wherein two sections are connected by an integral hinge for relative movement. While the plastic containers are often molded as an integral unit, e.g., of expanded polystyrene, the paperboard containers are typically formed from an initially flat blank, provided with cut and score lines and folded to a three-dimensional container held in place by glue tabs.  
         [0004]     Some fast foods are sold with a small cup of liquid or semi-liquid sauce wherein the food product may be dipped as it is eaten. Although the cup may be positioned on a tray or counter-top when the food is consumed on the premises where it is obtained, fast food is often taken from the premises and consumed in a location having no convenient means for holding the cup of sauce, sometimes resulting in the cup being overturned or tipped with sauce spilling into the food container or into less convenient locations.  
         [0005]     It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a disposable container of the clamshell type having novel and improved means for holding a small cup, the purpose of which is to hold a liquid or semi-liquid sauce intended to be eaten with a food product served in the container.  
         [0006]     Another object is to provide a paperboard blank formed with cut and fold lines adapting the blank for erection to an enclosed container having a unique and advantageous design.  
         [0007]     A further object is to provide a disposable, fast food container having two sections connected by an integral hinge for movement between open and closed positions with a shape, when in the closed position, which enhances the ability of the container to accommodate and support a small cup complementary to the food product served in the container.  
         [0008]     Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     In furtherance of the foregoing objects, the container of the invention is initially in the form of a blank of sheet material, preferably a suitable weight paperboard, cut to a predetermined outline and provided with cut and fold lines in appropriate locations for erection to the final size and shape of the container. Generally, the blank is divided by a transverse fold line or perforated line into two sections. When fully erected, this fold or perforated line forms an integral hinge for relative movement of the two sections, termed upper and lower sections, between open and closed positions. Each section is provided with two pairs of essentially triangular glue tabs, each tab having one side forming a portion of the blank periphery, a second side formed by a cut line and a third side formed by a perforated fold line. Each section also includes a single glue tab at the end opposite the hinge; that is, the single glue tabs are formed at opposite ends of the blank, but will be directly adjacent one another when the container is fully erected and in the closed position. A single side panel of each section is formed by a fold line extending between cut lines forming one side of a glue tab at each end. One end panel of each section is formed by a transverse fold line extending parallel to the hinge line between opposite ends at a common junction with the glue tab cut lines and the side panel fold lines. At the opposite end, each section has a pair of end panels having one edge forming a portion of the periphery of the blank and fold or cut lines along three other edges.  
         [0010]     Fold lines of the side and end panels form a peripheral boundary defining a five-sided center panel in each section. The center panels of the upper and lower sections are termed top and bottom panels, respectively, in the erected condition of the container. The top panel is provided with a circular, breakaway panel defined by a perforated line. An arcuate portion of the breakaway panel, including a portion of its periphery, is cut and removed from the original blank to facilitate manual removal of the entire breakaway panel, thereby forming a circular opening in the top panel when a small cup is to be inserted therein for previously described reasons. A pair of locking tabs are formed in the periphery of each of the end panels opposite the hinged end in both the upper and lower sections. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of the blank of sheet material;  
         [0012]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are side and front elevational views, respectively, of the container erected from the blank of  FIG. 1  shown in the closed position;  
         [0013]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of the container, shown in the closed position; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of the container in the open position showing the interior side thereof. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]     Referring now to the drawings, in  FIG. 1  is shown a blank  10  cut from a sheet of material such as paperboard, appropriate for forming a container for the intended use. Blank  10  is divided by fold line  12  into two sections  14  and  16 , termed for convenience upper and lower sections, respectively. Fold line  18  in section  14  and fold line  20  in section  16  are parallel to one another and to fold line  12 . Fold lines  22 ,  22 ′ extend between the opposite ends of fold lines  12  and  18 , and fold lines  24 ,  24 ′ extend between opposite ends of fold lines  12  and  20 . Fold lines  12 ,  18 ,  22  and  22 ′ form the periphery of first end panel  26 , and fold lines  12 ,  20 ,  24  and  24 ′ form the periphery of second end panel  28 . A first pair of glue tabs  30 ,  30 ′, at opposite ends of end panel  26 , are separated from the end panel by fold lines  22 ,  22 ′, and from respective side panels  32 ,  32 ′ by cut lines  34 ,  34 ′, respectively. It will be understood that the term fold line, as used herein, may refer to a continuous score line separating adjacent panels of the blank or container, or to a line of perforated or intermittently cut and scored portions, i.e., to any means of providing a line along which two adjacent panels are to be folded, whereas the term cut line refers to a line along which the material is severed between adjacent portions of the blank.  
         [0016]     Side panels  32 ,  32 ′ are separated from a central panel, termed top panel  36  by fold lines  38 ,  38 ′, respectively. A pair of end panels  40 ,  40 ′ are separated from top panel  36  by fold lines  42 ,  42 ′, respectively. Thus, top panel  36  is bounded by fold lines  18 ,  38 ,  38 ′,  42  and  42 ′. Circular portion  44  is formed in top panel  36  by perforated line  46  with an arcuate portion bounded by cut line  48  of circular portion  44  and cut line  50  of line  46  being removed. A second pair of glue tabs  52 ,  52 ′ of upper section  14  are separated from side panels  32 ,  32 ′ by cut lines  54 ,  54 ′, respectively, and from end panels  40 ,  40 ′ by fold lines  56 ,  56 ′, respectively. A single glue tab  58  is separated from end panel  40  by cut line  60  and from end panel  40 ′ by fold line  62 . Portions of end panels  40  and  40 ′ forming sections of the outer periphery of blank section  14  are cut to form hooks  64 ,  64 ′ for purposes described later.  
         [0017]     A first pair of glue tabs  66 ,  66 ′ of lower section  16  are separated from end panel  28  by fold lines  24 ,  24 ′, respectively, and from side panels  68 ,  68 ′ by cut lines  70 ,  70 ′. A second pair of lower section glue tabs  72 ,  72 ′ are separated from side panels  68 ,  68 ′ by cut lines  74 ,  74 ′. Glue tabs  72 ,  72 ′ are separated from end panels  76 ,  76 ′ by fold lines  78 ,  78 ′. End panels  76 ,  76 ′ are separated from the central portion of lower section  16 , termed bottom panel  80 , by fold lines  82 ,  82 ′. Side panels  68 ,  68 ′ are separated from bottom panel  80  by fold lines  84 ,  84 ′, respectively. Thus, bottom panel  80  is bounded by fold lines  20 ,  82 ,  82 ′  84  and  84 ′. A single glue tab  86  is separated from end panel  76  by fold line  88  and from end panel  76 ′ by fold line  90 . A pair of hooked portions  92 ,  92 ′ are formed in the outer peripheries of end panels  76 ,  76 ′ for purposes described later.  
         [0018]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 through 5 , container  94  has been formed from blank  10  in the usual manner of folding adjacent panels along the fold lines provided and adhesively connecting surfaces of glue tabs to surfaces of other panels with which they have been brought into opposition in the folding operation. Upper and lower sections  14  and  16  are connected by an integral hinge formed by fold line  12  for relative movement between the closed position shown, and an open position in the usual manner of clamshell containers. It will be noted that side panels  32  and  68  of upper and lower section  14  and  16 , respectively, (and, of course, side panels  32 ′ and  68 ′ on the opposite side) increase in width from the rear (hinged) to the forward end of the container, thereby providing a slanted clamshell configuration with a greater height at the front than at the rear. As seen in the front view of  FIG. 3 , hooks  64  and  64 ′ of upper section  14  engage hooks  92 ,  92 ′, respectively, of lower section  16  to maintain the sections in mutual engagement until manually pulled apart at the front end. As also best seen in  FIG. 3 , the outer, free edges of side panels  32  and  32 ′ of upper section  14  overlap the outer edges of side panels  68  and  68 ′, respectively, and the free edges of end panel  76  of lower section  16  overlap the free edges of end panel  40  of upper section  14 , except in the region of hooks  64 ,  64 ′ and  92 ,  92 ′.  
         [0019]     In the side view of  FIG. 2 , cup  96  is positioned above container  94 . Cup  96  tapers outwardly from bottom to top having a diameter D 1 , smaller than diameter D of circular portion  44  of top panel  36  of upper section  14 , at its lower end and a diameter D 2 , larger than D, at its upper end. Thus, after removing circular portion  44  of top panel  36 , the lower end of cup  96  may be inserted into opening  98  ( FIG. 4 ) where the outer side surface of cup  96  will engage the circular edge of the opening and hold the cup securely in place. This provides a simple and convenient means of providing a cup of dipping sauce, or the like, in conjunction with a food product which is served in the container.  
         [0020]     The interior of the erected container is shown in  FIG. 6 . By folding along fold lines  18  and  20 , end panels  26  and  28  are moved relative to top and bottom panels  36  and  80 , thereby bringing surfaces of glue tabs  30 ,  30 ′ and of upper section  14  and glue tabs  66 ,  66 ′ of lower section  16  into opposing contact with portions of side panels  32 ,  32 ′ of the upper section and side panels  68 ,  68 ′ of the lower section. A suitable adhesive is applied to maintain the opposing surfaces permanently in this position. By folding along fold lines  42  and  42 ′ of front section  14 , surfaces of glue tabs  52 ,  52 ′ are brought into opposing contact with portions of side panels  32  and  32 ′ and maintained in this position by application of adhesive. Likewise, glue tabs  72 ,  72 ′ of rear section  16  are brought into opposing contact with portions of side panels  68 ,  68 ′ and secured with adhesive. By the folding along fold lines  42  and  42 ′, glue tab  58  is brought into contact with end panel  40  and the two opposing surfaces are secured with adhesive. Folding along lines  82 ,  82 ′ brings glue tab  86  into contact with end panel  76 ′ of lower section  16  and the opposing surfaces are maintained in contact with adhesive. Container  94  is then fully erected and ready for use. If no sauce cup is provided with an order, circular portion  44  is left in place on top panel  36 ; if a sauce cup is provided, the server breaks circular portion  44  free from top panel  36  along perforated line  46  to provide an opening to hold the cup and sauce in secure relation to container  94 , the latter being in the form of a two-section clamshell tapering outwardly to a larger capacity from the rear (hinged) end to the opposite (front) end.