Reclosable food container

• US 20040182916A1
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rock-Tenn Shared Services, LLC (WestRock Company)
• Original Assignee: Rock-Tenn Shared Services, LLC (WestRock Company)
• Inventors: Roseth, Steven H.
• Application Number:
  US10/392,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20040182916A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/155
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2047 trapezoidal, e.g. to form a body with diverging side walls B65D5/2033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/244 and the gussets folds connected to the outside of the container body B65D5/247, B65D5/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/48048 Single partition formed by folding one or more blanks and provided with flaps fixed to or maintained by parts of the container body B65D5/4804 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/546 the lines of weakness being provided in an extension panel or tab of a hinged closure
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6635 the lid-halves being held in closed position by flaps or tabs provided at their edge opposite to their hinge B65D5/6644, B65D5/6647 take precedence

Abstract

A reclosable food container is created from a unitary blank. The container includes a bottom panel, a first lateral side panel extending from the bottom panel; a first opposing side panel extending from the bottom panel on an opposing side to the first lateral side panel; a second lateral side panel extending from the bottom panel; a second opposing side panel extending from the bottom panel on an opposing side to the second lateral side panel; a plurality of foldable gussets, each gusset hingedly connecting two adjacent side panels; a first closure panel extending from the first lateral side panel, the first closure panel comprising a first hook closure device; and a second closure panel extending from the first opposing side panel, the second closure panel comprising a second hook closure device.

Claims

1. A reclosable food container assembled from a unitary blank, the container comprising:

a bottom panel;

a first pair of opposing side panels extending from the bottom panel;

a second pair of opposing side panels extending from the bottom panel;

a plurality of foldable gussets;

each gusset connecting two adjacent side panels; and

a first pair of opposing closure panels extending from the first pair of opposing side panels and each closure panel having an opposing hook closure device.

2. The reclosable food container of claim 1 further comprising:

a second pair of opposing closure panels extending from the second pair of opposing side panels.

3. The reclosable food container of claim 2 wherein a hook closure device extends from each of the second pair of opposing closure panels.

4. The reclosable food container of claim 2 wherein the pairs of closure panels may be closed in an arbitrary order.

5. The reclosable food container of claim 3 wherein all hook closure devices may be hidden when the container is closed.

6. The reclosable food container of claim 3 wherein the pairs closure panels may be closed in an arbitrary order.

7. The reclosable food container of claim 6 wherein the first pair of opposing side panels extend from a shorter side of the bottom panel than the second pair of opposing side panels.

8. The reclosable food container of claim 6 wherein structural integrity of the container is maintained when only a top most pair of opposing hook closure devices are interlocked.

9. The reclosable food container of claim 2 wherein an area of either pair of opposing closure panels exceed 85% of an area of an opening defined by edges of the pairs of opposing side panels distal to the bottom panel.

10. A method of making a reclosable food container from a unitary blank comprising:

scoring the unitary blank with at least one of a plurality of score lines and a plurality of fold lines;

folding along two pairs of substantially parallel fold lines that define a bottom panel, to form four side panels;

folding along four sets of fold lines, each set defining a gusset extending between pairs of side panels of a cavity;

folding along at least two fold lines that define a fold between a side panel and a closure panel;

adhering each gusset to an outer surface of one of the adjacent side panels;

wherein the food container comprises a first closure panel extending from a first side panel, the first closure panel comprising a first hook closure device; and

a second closure panel extending from a first opposing side panel, the second closure panel comprising a second hook closure device.

11. An article comprising:

a unitary paperboard blank defining a bottom panel;

a first pair of opposing side panels extending from the bottom panel;

a second pair of opposing side panels extending from the bottom panel;

a plurality of foldable gussets, each gusset connecting two adjacent side panels; and

a first pair of opposing closure panels extending from the first pair of opposing side panels and each closure panel having an opposing hook closure device.

12. The reclosable food container of claim 11 further comprising:

a second pair of opposing closure panels extending from the second pair of opposing side panels.

13. The article of claim 11 wherein the panels are defined by score lines.

14. The article of claim 11 wherein the panels are defined by fold lines.