Abstract:
A container ( 16 ) that is especially useful to hold hot baked goods to vent moisture and thereby increase the life of the baked goods. The container includes base and lid elements ( 12, 14 ), both formed of plastic sheeting, with especially the lid element having a plurality of small (preferably not more than ⅛th inch diameter) vent holes ( 50, 40, 42, 44, 52 ) that allow the escape of moisture while resisting the entry of dirt or objects.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Baked goods such as bread, cakes and pies, are often placed in a non-vented container consisting of a base and lid, as soon as the goods cool to about 110° F. The container then may be placed in a refrigerator. Moisture emitted from the baked goods tends to condense on the inside of the lid and reduce the shelf life of the baked goods from about 14 days (if not placed in a container) to 7 days. Applicant notes that cooked foods such as cooked vegetables, tend to emit odors and corresponding gases right after they are cooked and, unlike baked goods, tend to have a longer shelf life if immediately stored in a non-vented container than if placed in a vented container. 
         [0002]    One way to vent gases for baked goods is to place a moisture-penetrable porous flexible film over a large hole in the base or lid, or to place a filter patch over a hole in the lid though which moisture can escape. The patch or film is almost always opaque or translucent but not fully transparent, and has pores that allow a slow flow of gases (moisture) and that prevents the entrance of spilled or splashed water. The patch or film also prevents a toothpick that a person might try to insert through a pore without authorization, to taste the food. A food container construction that allowed the venting of moisture while avoiding the need to mount a patch or film over a hole in the container, could reduce the cost of the container. It is preferable that such venting means not block or interfere with a clear view of the stored baked goods through the lid. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a food container is provided that is especially useful to store hot baked goods. The container includes a base on which goods are placed and a lid that covers the base and that has a vertical axis and that has lid side walls extending about the axis. The lid side walls have a plurality of vent holes spaced about the axis, with each vent hole preferably being no more than ⅛th inch in diameter, and preferably at least 1/64th inch in diameter. 
         [0004]    Venting can be encouraged through the base by constructing the base with a raised platform that lies close to a base periphery that is designed to rest on a horizontal support surface. A plurality of vertical vent holes are formed in the raised platform to allow moisture to escape though the holes and then outwardly through gaps between the base periphery and the horizontal support surface. 
         [0005]    Where vent holes lie in an upper portion of the lid side walls, lower portions of the lid side walls are preferably formed to extend at downward-and-radially inward inclines. This resists the flow of moisture back into the lid though lower vent holes. 
         [0006]    The lid can be provided with a plurality of pockets wherein each pocket projects radially inward into the cavity formed under the lid. Each pocket has circumferentially opposite pocket side walls that each has a vent hole. 
         [0007]    The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded isometric view of a container of one embodiment of the invention wherein the container has vent holes in a top rib of the lid, in vertical lid side walls, and in a raised platform of the base. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1A  is a side elevation view of a container that is identical to  FIG. 1  but in an upside-down orientation. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the container of  FIG. 1  in a fully assembled configuration. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a partial sectional view taken on line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a container of another embodiment of the invention wherein the lid has pockets with vent holes. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a partial sectional view of a container of another embodiment of the invention, wherein lower walls of the container extend at downward and radially-inward inclines. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is an exploded isometric view of a container of another embodiment of the invention wherein the base has a peripheral rib at its bottom with vent holes in the rib. 
       
    
    
       [0015]      FIGS. 1-2  are the same as figure in applicant&#39;s patent application Ser. No. 11/998,582 filed Nov. 30, 2007 except those figures do not show vent holes. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a food container  10  which includes a base or base element  12  on which food, especially baked goods, can rest, and a lid or cover element  14  that covers the base and that forms a cavity  16  over the base. The container has a vertical axis  20 , and the base and lid extend around the axis although they could be rectangular instead of round. The base is essentially flat, with a support surface  22  that supports the goods, such as a cake C ( FIG. 2 ). The lid has side walls  24  that extend primarily vertically (about 7° from the vertical) and that extend around the axis, a primarily horizontal top wall  26  with an upstanding rib  30  that extends around the top wall, and a transition wall  32  that transitions from primarily vertical at  34  to primarily horizontal at  36  in a continuous curve. As shown in  FIG. 1A  wherein the food container labeled  10 A has a transition wall  32 A that is curved about adjacent points lying on a circle  39 . The transition wall provides greater strength than a sharp bend. The upstanding rib  30  ( FIG. 1 ) increases the rigidity of the top of the lid. The base and lid are each formed of semi-rigid sheet plastic which has been thermoformed to the indicated shape. 
         [0017]    At a commercial bakery, hot baked goods such as bread, cakes and pies are allowed to cool to about 112° F. and then are placed in the container and the container is placed in a refrigerator. Considerable amounts of moisture are emitted by the baked goods. Applicant allows the moisture to escape by providing vent holes in the lid and also in the base. Applicant provides upper vent holes  50  in an upper portion  51  of the side walls  24  of the lid at locations closer to the top of the side walls than to the bottom or even the middle of the height of the side walls. The lid of  FIG. 1  has four vent holes  50  in its side walls. Applicant also provides vent holes in the upstanding rib  30 , including vent holes  40 ,  42 ,  44  in the radially outer rib wall  45 , in the top rib wall  46 , and in the radially inner rib wall  47 . Much of the moisture emitted by hot or warm baked goods tends to condense at the top or upper portions of the lid, and the vent holes provide a ready escape path. 
         [0018]    Applicant also provides vent holes  52  in the base  12 . Some of the condensed moisture tends to run down the inside of the lid and onto the base. The base has a periphery  60  on a generally upward flange  62  ( FIG. 3 ) whose radially outer edge is unsupported, or free. The peripheral surface can rest on a flat support surface S ( FIG. 3 ) such as a table top, and has a plurality of upstanding platforms at  22  that support a cake or other goods. The outer platform or rib  22 A is of a hat shaped cross-section ( FIG. 3 ). The base vent holes  52  are formed in the outermost platform  22 A. The outermost platform  22 A and the periphery  60  are part of a base outer portion  81  ( FIG. 1 ). Moisture can flow though the vent holes, especially moisture that condenses before it rises to the top of the container. The peripheral surface  60  that can rest on a flat surface is slightly “wavy” and moisture can flow under gaps  64  between the peripheral surface and a flat table top. 
         [0019]    The container  10  ( FIG. 1 ) has an upper transition region  62  that extends generally upward from the bottom  38  of the transition wall  32  to the radially inner surface of top rib wall  46  at  64 . The continuous curve  32  and the upstanding rib  30  provide a transition from primarily vertical to horizontal. 
         [0020]    The assembled container also has a lower transition region  70  ( FIG. 2 ) that extends from the bottom  72  of the side wall  24  to the periphery  60  of the container. The lower transition region has latches  74 ,  76  ( FIG. 1 ) that fasten the base and lid together and strengthen them. The lower transition region has a small flare  79  at the bottom of the side walls, and also has a horizontal wall  78  in the form of a radially outward-extending flange under the bottom of the side walls. A downward-extending tube  80  of the lid fits in a groove  82  in the base. The primarily vertical container side wall  24  may be considered a middle transition region that connects the upper and lower transition regions. Moisture containing a moderate amount of water, such as from hot cake icing, tends to vent through a hole in the side wall. The most important vent hole locations depend upon the particular hot baked goods. There is preferably a vent hole in at least one and possibly in all three, of the transition regions. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  shows a container  100  of the same shape as the container of  FIGS. 1-3 , but which has pockets that extend into the container cavity  104 , with vent holes in the pockets. Pockets  110 ,  112  in the lid side walls  114  extend radially inward toward the axis  116 , while a pocket  120  in a top wall  122  extends downward. The pocket  120  in the top wall has an extension  124  that is narrower than the rest of the pocket. A label  130  adheres to the top wall  122  and covers much of the pocket while leaving an end part  126  of the extension uncovered. The pocket  120  in the top wall has laterally opposite sides  132  that lie on opposite sides of the container axis  136  and extend perpendicular to the adjacent top wall  122 . The pocket  120  also has an inner or bottom wall  140  that lies furthest from the adjacent lid outer wall  122 . The opposite side walls have vent holes  142  and the inner wall  140  also has vent holes  144 . Moisture emanating from the vent holes  142 ,  144  can pass along the narrow extension  124  into the environment. 
         [0022]    The pockets  110  at the top of the lid side walls  114  have opposite side walls  152  and a bottom wall  154  that extend radially inward towards the axis. Each of the walls  152 ,  154  has at least one vent hole  160 ,  162 . The top  164  of the pocket is open. If a label  166  is placed over the pocket  110  as shown, moisture can still escape though the open top at  164 . Lower pockets  112  have four sides that extend radially inward and have a radially innermost wall, with each wall having at least one vent hole. It should be noted that applicant prefers to form the container symmetrically about the axis  136 , so there are at least two pockets of the type shown at  110  and  112 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  shows a portion of a container lid  200  which has pockets  110 A,  112 A similar to those  110 , 112  of the lid of  FIG. 4  with vent holes  114 . However, the lid side walls in  FIG. 5  below vent holes  114  are constructed with a backdraft  202  where the side walls extend at a downward and radially inward angle toward the axis  204 . Any condensed moisture that flows down along the side walls  212 , tends to drip at  214  into a region around the container. This avoids the moisture flowing back into the container cavity  214  though holes  220 ,  222 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 6  shows a container  300  comprising a base  302  and lid  304 , wherein the lid has a lower and radially outer upstanding rib  310  that lies over a peripheral portion  312  of the base. the upstanding rib  310  has a plurality of holes  212  that enable the escape of moisture into the environment. 
         [0025]    The vent holes are preferably small, to allow moisture to escape but to prevent the entrance of harmful material or implements. For example, the vent holes are designed to avoid the entrance of spilled water into the containers. Also, the vent holes are designed to make it difficult for a person to insert an object, such as a finger or even a toothpick though a vent hole in order to taste frosting on a cake. The narrowest common toothpick is a round toothpick of 0.08 inch diameter, while flat toothpicks are larger. In order to leave some frosting or other part of the goods on the toothpick, the hole must be at least ⅛th inch (0.125″) diameter. Thus, applicant prefers to use vent holes no larger than ⅛th inch diameter and in any case having an area no more than the area (0.035 inch 2 ) of a round 3/16th inch diameter hole. Greater ventilation is achieved by providing more vent holes. 
         [0026]    The containers shown in the figures have bases of small height and lids with side walls that form most of the height of the food-holding cavity. However, it should be understood that the base can have tall primarily vertical side walls that form a major part or a majority of the height of the cavity, and the lid can be of small height. 
         [0027]      FIG. 1A  shows a container  10 A of the same construction as the container  10  of  FIG. 1 , except that the container  10 A is oriented in an upside-down position. That is, the container  10 A has a support  14 A that holds food such as cookies or small pieces of cheesecake, with a cavity  16 A that opens upward, and has a cover  12 A that covers the cavity. Applicant prefers to form one or more vent holes in the now-downward facing peripheral horizontal wall  78 A. The rib  30 A rests on a horizontal support surface S such as a store shelf. 
         [0028]    Thus, applicant provides a container comprising a base and lid each formed of sheet plastic, and which is especially useful to hold hot baked goods. The container has vent holes that are no more than 3/16th inch and preferably no more than ⅛th inch in diameter, or have an equivalent area. The vent holes can be provided in the primarily vertical side walls of the lid. The lid can be provided with a top wall having an upstanding rib, and vent holes can be provided in the upstanding rib. The base can be provided with an outermost platform with a plurality of vent holes in the platform. A lid can be provided that has pockets with vent holes in inner walls of the pockets. A label can be installed over much of a pocket but moisture still can exit out of the container. The lid side walls can be provided with a backdraft below upper vent holes, to prevent moisture in the form of water from flowing back into the container through a lower vent hole. The lid can be provided with a bottom upstanding rib with vent holes therein. 
         [0029]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.