Abstract:
A one-piece thermoformed food package comprises a base with a peripheral male rim and, connected to the base by a hinge, a lid having a peripheral female rim channel. The corners of the male rim of the base includes a first set of tabs extending inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base, and a second set of tabs extending outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base. The tabs are configured to engage corresponding hidden recesses formed in the side walls of female rim channel of the lid. A plurality of ridges in the sidewalls increases structural stability, and assists in mating the base with the lid.

Description:
[0001]    The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/548,164, filed on Dec. 10, 2015; a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/548,170, filed on Dec. 10, 2015; a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/548,172, filed on Dec. 10, 2015; the disclosures of which are hereby all incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to molded plastic containers suitable for packaging food products. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Food containers provided as an easily erected package are used by food service establishments as sturdy, attractive packages for take-out consumers. Such containers or packages are useful for the packaging and service of a wide variety of restaurant foods. Partially erected packages are stored in a food service establishment in a nested manner ready to accept the particular food product being sold and are then closed by the server before being given to the customer. Clamshell containers normally include a lid or cover and an integral container base that are hinged together. Some containers have large flanges formed in the shoulder portion of the container base to engage the lid so as to lock or seal the container closed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present application is directed toward a clamshell food container having a base and a lid. The base may have a peripheral male rim having at least two corners, a lid connected to the base by a hinge, the lid having a peripheral female rim channel, wherein each of the corners of the male rim distal to the hinge include a first set of tabs extending inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base, and a second set of tabs extending outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base, and a first side of the female rim channel of the lid includes a first set of recesses configured to engage the first set of tabs, and a second side of the female rim channel of the lid includes a first set of recesses configured to engage the second set of tabs. 
         [0005]    Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the interior of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the exterior of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a left side view of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a right side view of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a top view of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the interior of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the exterior of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a left side view of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is a right side view of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a bottom view of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  is a top view of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the interior of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the exterior of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0020]      FIG. 15  is a left side view of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0021]      FIG. 16  is a right side view of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0022]      FIG. 17  is a bottom view of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition; 
           [0023]      FIG. 18  is a top view of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    Referring now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1 through 6  show a semi-rigid container  10  having a basket-shaped base  12  and a lid  14  of comparable height. The base  12  and lid  14  are connected by a hinge  16 . The base  12  and lid  14  preferably have a uniform thickness. The container  10  preferably is thermoformed from a plastic material such as polypropylene. The containers are nestable and stackable when in the open condition depicted in, for example, the perspective view of  FIG. 1 . The sidewalls of the base  12  and the lid  14  of the container  10  may be provided with scalloped flutes  12 A and  14 A to strengthen the sidewalls. The scalloped ridges or flutes  12 A and  14 A align with each other when stacking nested containers. The scalloped sidewalls preferably extend orthogonally from the respective flat shoulder portions  12 B and  14 B of the base  12  and lid  14  of the container  10 . 
         [0025]    The latching structure for securing the lid  14  to the base  12  preferably is not part of the flat shoulder portion  12 B extending away from the basket of the base  12 . The shoulder portion  12 B preferably includes at least one small protrusion  28  to help promote separation of the respective flat shoulder portions  12 B and  14 B of the base  12  and lid  14  when the container  10  is closed. 
         [0026]    For the base  12 , a peripheral male rim  20  forms the top of the basket of the base  12  and the flat shoulder portion  12 B extends laterally away from the bottom of the peripheral male rim  20 . At the corners distal from the hinge  16 , a first set of tabs  22  extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior basket of the base  12 , and a second set of tabs  24  extend outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base. The tabs  22  and  24  preferably are thin and elongated shapes. At the corners proximate to the hinge  16 , a third set of tabs  26  preferably extend outwardly from the rim towards the exterior of the base. In an alternative embodiment, a fourth set of tabs may extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base. 
         [0027]    For the lid  14 , a peripheral female rim channel  40  is formed and the flat shoulder portion  14 B extends laterally away from the top of the peripheral female rim channel  40 . The two corners of the female rim channel  40  distal to the hinge  16  includes a first set of recesses  42  on the outside wall of the channel configured to engage the first set of tabs  22  of the peripheral male rim  20  of the base  12 , and the inside wall of the female rim channel  40  of the lid  14  at those corners includes a second set of recesses  44  configured to engage the second set of tabs  24 . Similarly, at the corners proximate to the hinge  16 , a third set of recesses  46  preferably are formed on the outside wall of the peripheral female rim channel  40  to engage corresponding tabs  26  on the peripheral male rim  20 . In an alternative embodiment, a fourth set of recesses may be formed on the inside wall of the peripheral female rim channel to engage corresponding tabs on the peripheral male rim. 
         [0028]    All four corners of the container  10  may be latched and secured with the tabs and recesses on the peripheral male rim  20  and peripheral female rim channel  40 , respectively. This configuration also minimizes the need for a large shoulder portion needed for prior art latching approaches. 
         [0029]      FIGS. 7 through 12  show another embodiment with a more rectangular shape. The container  110  has a base  112  and lid  114  connected by a hinge  116 . The base  112  and lid  114  preferably are similar in construction to the previously discussed embodiment. The sidewalls of the base  112  and the lid  114  of the container  110  may be provided with scalloped flutes  112 A and  114 A, and the scalloped sidewalls preferably extend orthogonally from the respective flat shoulder portions  112 B and  114 B of the base  112  and lid  114  of the container  110 . 
         [0030]    For the base  112 , a peripheral male rim  120  forms the top of the basket of the base  112  and the flat shoulder portion  112 B extends laterally away from the bottom of the peripheral male rim  20 . At the corners distal from the hinge  116 , a first set of tabs  122  extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior basket of the base  112 , and a second set of tabs  124  extend outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base. At the corners proximate to the hinge  116 , a third set of tabs  126  preferably extend outwardly from the rim towards the exterior of the base. In another alternative embodiment, a fourth set of tabs may extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base. 
         [0031]    For the lid  114 , a peripheral female rim channel  140  is formed and the flat shoulder portion  114 B extends laterally away from the top of the peripheral female rim channel  140 . The two corners of the female rim channel  140  distal to the hinge  116  includes a first set of recesses  142  on the outside wall of the channel configured to engage the first set of tabs  122 , and the inside wall of the female rim channel  140  at those corners includes a second set of recesses  144  configured to engage the second set of tabs  124 . Similarly, at the corners proximate to the hinge  116 , a third set of recesses  146  preferably are formed on the outside wall of the peripheral female rim channel  140  to engage corresponding tabs  126  on the peripheral male rim  120 . 
         [0032]      FIGS. 13 through 18  show another embodiment with compartments formed in the base  212  of the container  210 . The base  212  and lid  214  are connected by a hinge  216 . The base  212  and lid  214  preferably are similar in construction to the previously discussed embodiments. The sidewalls of the base  212  and the lid  214  may be provided with scalloped flutes  212 A and  214 A, and the scalloped sidewalls preferably extend orthogonally from the respective flat shoulder portions  212 B and  214 B of the base  212  and lid  214 . 
         [0033]    For the base  212 , a peripheral male rim  220  forms the top of the base  212  and the flat shoulder portion  212 B extends laterally away from the bottom of the peripheral male rim  220 . At the corners distal from the hinge  216 , a set of tabs  222  extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior basket of the base  212 , and another set of tabs  224  extend outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base  212 . At the corners proximate to the hinge  216 , another set of tabs  226  preferably extend outwardly from the rim towards the exterior of the base. In another alternative embodiment, yet another set of tabs may extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base. 
         [0034]    For the lid  214 , a peripheral female rim channel  240  is formed and the flat shoulder portion  214 B extends laterally away from the top of the peripheral female rim channel  240 . The two corners of the female rim channel  240  distal to the hinge  216  includes a first set of recesses  242  on the outside wall of the channel configured to engage the first set of tabs  222 , and the inside wall of the female rim channel  140  at those corners includes a second set of recesses  244  configured to engage the second set of tabs  224 . Similarly, at the corners proximate to the hinge  216 , a third set of recesses  246  preferably are formed on the outside wall of the peripheral female rim channel  240  to engage corresponding tabs  226  on the peripheral male rim  220 . 
         [0035]    While the invention has been described by particular examples, those examples are illustrative and the claims may cover other examples of the claimed invention. For example, it also should be appreciated that the container may take shapes other than quadrilateral shapes.