Nesting catering tray container

• US 20080296358A1
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arvco Container Corporation
• Original Assignee: Arvco Container Corporation
• Inventors: Hanna, David Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,459,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/128
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/22 held erect by extensions of one or more sides being doubled-over to enclose extensions of adjacent sides
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6661 Flaps provided over the total length of the lid edge opposite to the hinge
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/0433 the inner container being a tray or like shallow container, not formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks B65D81/3862 takes precedence

Abstract

A container formed from a foldable blank into a box-like configuration for transport of a tray or container storing food items therein, such as a catering tray. The container includes a bottom portion defined by a bottom wall, front and rear walls, and spaced-apart side walls, all of which project upwardly from bottom wall. A top portion is provided which is swingably movable relative to the bottom portion to provide open and closed configurations of the container. The container provides an added insulative layer so as to maintain food items stored within the catering tray at the desired temperature, and also improves handling thereof.

Claims

1. An outer container for housing an inner storage container for transporting a food product therein, the storage container including a bottom, a generally ring-like and upright sidewall projecting upwardly from the bottom, and a ring-like flange connected to the sidewall, said outer container comprising:

upper and lower portions joined to one another such that said upper portion is pivotable away from and toward said lower portion to respectively define open and closed configurations of said outer container, said upper portion of said outer container including a generally planar top wall;

said lower portion of said container including;

a generally planar bottom wall having a first pair of generally parallel side edges and a second pair of generally parallel side edges extending transversely relative to said first pair of side edges;

first and second elongate sidewalls joined to said bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom along said first pair of side edges; and

third and fourth elongate sidewalls joined to said bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom along said second pair of side edges, said third and fourth sidewalls being oriented transversely relative to said first and second sidewalls;

said top wall having respective first and second edge portions which, when said container is in said closed configuration, are disposed adjacent to but in vertically-spaced relation from, respective first and second upper edge portions of said first and second sidewalls to define respective first and second generally sidewardly-opening slots in which the flange of the storage container engages when housed within said container.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein said third and fourth sidewalls are front and rear sidewalls, and said top wall is hingedly connected to said rear sidewall and swingably movable relative thereto to define said open and closed configurations of said container.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein said first and second sidewalls are each defined by a first sidewall part joined to said bottom wall along the respective said first side edge, and a second sidewall part joined to an outer edge of said first sidewall part, said second sidewall part being foldable downwardly about a fold line defined by said first sidewall outer edge and disposed in superimposed relation relative to said first sidewall part to provide said sidewalls with a multi-layer construction.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein said top wall has a first pair of generally parallel side edges and a second pair of generally parallel side edges extending transversely relative to said first pair of side edges, said top wall mounting thereon a front locking flap joined to one of said side edges and foldable downwardly relative to said top wall for engagement with one of said third and fourth sidewalls to lock said upper portion to said lower portion in said closed configuration of said container.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein said container is formed entirely from a one-piece, monolithic, flat, sheet-like blank of stiff cardboard.