Folded food carton

• US 20090039144A1
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Henry Hooi, Koon H. Hooi, Shirley Hooi
• Original Assignee: Henry Hooi, Koon H. Hooi, Shirley Hooi
• Inventors: Hooi, Koon H., Hooi, Henry, Hooi, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US11/891,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20090039144A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/148
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/248 and at least one side being extended and doubled-over to enclose the adjacent gusset flaps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6661 Flaps provided over the total length of the lid edge opposite to the hinge

Abstract

A folded food carton comprises a bottom panel 12, two opposing end panels 14, two opposing side panels 16, four gussets 18, and a top panel 20. Each adjoining pair of end and side panels 14, 16 is hingedly interconnected by one of the gussets 18 each of which includes first and second gusset panels 30, 32. In a fully folded carton configuration, the upper portion 50 of the first gusset panel 30 extends above the upper edge 52 of the second gusset panel 32 and is heat sealed to the inside surface of one of the end panels 14 such that the folded carton presents exterior panel surfaces unbroken by gussets. The top panel 20 folds over the cavity C of the folded carton and is secured in closed position by a tuck flap 42 having slot mechanisms 46 which engage with the upward-extending tabs 64 of flap mechanisms 48.

Claims

1. A folded food carton comprising:

a bottom panel,

a pair of opposing end panels extending from said bottom panel,

a pair of opposing side panels extending from said bottom panel, and

a plurality of foldable gussets, each said gusset hingedly connecting one of said end panels and one of said side panels, each said gusset including a first gusset panel and a second gusset panel hingedly connected with said first gusset panel, said first and second gusset panels foldable into an overlapping configuration for forming said bottom, side and end panels into a carton configuration, said first gusset panel having a an upper portion, said second gusset panel having a second panel upper edge, in said overlapping configuration said upper portion of said first gusset panel extending above second panel upper edge.

2. The folded food carton of claim 1 wherein:

said end panels have an interior surface, and said upper portion of each of said first gusset panels is fastened to said interior surface of one of said end panels.

3. The folded food carton of claim 2 wherein:

said first gusset panel and said end panel each are coated with a heat-sealable polymeric material, and

said upper portion of said first gusset panel and said interior surface of said end panel are fastened together by heat sealing said polymeric material.

4. The folded food carton of claim 3 wherein:

said end panel is hingedly connected to said bottom panel at an end panel fold line, and

in said overlapping configuration of said first and second gusset panels, said second panel upper edge is parallel to said end panel fold line.

5. The folded food carton of claim 4 further comprising:

each end panel having an end flap hingedly connected to said end panel at an end flap fold line,

said first gusset panel having a first panel upper edge, and

in said overlapping configuration of said first and second gusset panels, said first panel upper edge is parallel to said end flap fold line.

6. The folded food carton of claim 2 wherein:

said second gusset panel of each of said gussets is interposed between said first gusset panel and said end panel.

7. The folded food carton of claim 1 wherein:

said first gusset panel has a first panel upper edge, and

in said overlapping configuration said upper portion of said first gusset panel extends between said first panel upper edge and said second panel upper edge.

8. The folded food carton of claim 1 wherein:

said second gusset panel of each of said gussets is hingedly connected with one of said end panels at an end panel corner fold line,

said end panel has an interior surface, and

said first gusset panel of said gusset is fastened to said interior surface of said end panel adjacent to said end panel corner fold line.

9. The folded food carton of claim 8 wherein:

each of said plurality of gussets is hingedly connected to one of said side panels at a side panel corner fold line,

each of said plurality of gussets is hingedly connected to one of said end panels at an end panel corner fold line,

said side and end panels are foldable in relation to said bottom panel into a carton configuration in which said side and end panel corner fold lines are in juxtaposition for forming a carton corner, and

said upper portion of said first gusset panel is adjacent to and extends laterally from said corner.

10. The folded food carton of claim 1 wherein:

each said end panel has an end panel side edge and an end flap hingedly connected to said end panel at an end flap fold line, and

each said second panel upper edge intersects said end panel side edge of one of said end panels between said end panel fold line and said end flap fold line.

11. The folded food carton of claim 10 wherein:

each of said first gusset panels has a first panel side edge, and

said second panel upper edge intersects said first panel side edge between said end panel fold line and said first panel upper edge.

12. The folded food carton of claim 1 further comprising:

said side panels comprising a rear side panel, and

a top panel extending from said rear side panel.

13. The folded food carton of claim 12 further comprising:

and a forward side panel having a forward side panel top edge,

said top panel having a tuck flap, said top panel hingedly connected with said side panel at an top panel perforation line, said tuck flap hingedly connected with said top panel at a tuck flap perforation line, said top panel foldable along said top panel perforation line to a closed configuration, in said closed configuration said tuck flap perforation line in generally parallel juxtaposition with said forward side panel top edge.

14. The folded food carton of claim 13 wherein:

said tuck flap has at least one slot mechanism,

said other of said pair of side panels has at least one flap mechanism, and

in said closed configuration said slot mechanism is engaged with said flap mechanism.

15. The folded food carton of claim 14 wherein:

said slot mechanism includes perforated slot edge lines and punch-out slot-defining flaps.

16. The folded food carton of claim 14 further comprising:

an end flap extending from each of said end panels, said end flap hingedly connected with said end panel at an end flap fold line, and

in said closed configuration said top panel overlays each of said end flaps.

17. A folded food carton comprising:

a bottom panel,

a pair of opposing end panels extending from said bottom panel, said end panels each having an interior surface, each end panel hingedly connected to said bottom panel at an end panel fold line,

a pair of opposing side panels extending from said bottom panel, and a plurality of foldable gussets, each said gusset hingedly connecting one of said end panels and one of said side panels, each said gusset including a first gusset panel and a second gusset panel hingedly connected with said first gusset panel, said first gusset panel having an upper portion, said second gusset panel having a second panel upper edge, said first and second gusset panels foldable into an overlapping configuration for forming said bottom, side, and end panels into a carton configuration, in said overlapping configuration second gusset panel disposed in overlapping engagement with said first gusset panel, said upper portion of said first gusset panel extending above said second panel upper edge,

in said carton configuration said upper portion of said first gusset panel fastened to said interior surface of one of said end panels, said second gusset panel interposed between said first gusset panel and said end panel, and said second panel upper edge disposed generally parallel to said end panel fold line.

18. The folded food carton of claim 17 wherein:

each said end panel has an end panel side edge and an end flap hingedly connected to said end panel at an end flap fold line,

each said second panel upper edge intersecting said end panel side edge of one of said end panels between said end panel fold line and said end flap fold line, and

each of said first gusset panels has a first panel side edge and a first panel upperedge,

said second panel upper edge intersecting said first panel side edge between said end panel fold line and said first panel upper edge.

19. A folded food carton comprising:

a bottom panel,

a pair of opposing end panels extending from said bottom panel, said end panels each having an interior surface, each end panel hingedly connected to said bottom panel at an end panel fold line,

a pair of opposing side panels extending from said bottom panel, and

a plurality of foldable gussets, each said gusset including a first gusset panel and a second gusset panel hingedly connected with said first gusset panel, said first gusset panel having a first panel upper edge and an upper portion, and said first gusset panel hingedly connected to one of said side panels at a side panel corner fold line, said second gusset panel having a second panel upper edge, and said second gusset panel hingedly connected to one of said end panels at an end panel corner fold line, said first and second gusset panels foldable into an overlapping configuration for forming said bottom, side, and end panels into a carton configuration,

in said overlapping configuration second gusset panel disposed in overlapping engagement with said first gusset panel, said upper portion of said first gusset panel extending between said second panel upper edge and said first panel upper edge,

in said carton configuration said upper portion of said first gusset panel fastened to said interior surface of one of said end panels, said second gusset panel interposed between said first gusset panel and said end panel, said second panel upper edge disposed generally parallel to said end panel fold line, said side and end panel corner fold lines in generally parallel juxtaposition such that they form a corner, and said upper portion of said second gusset panel adjacent to and extending laterally from said corner.

20. The folded food carton of claim 19 wherein:

said first gusset panel and said end panel each are coated with a heat-sealable polymeric material, and

said upper portion of said first gusset panel and said interior surface of said end panel are fastened together by heat sealing said polymeric material.

21. A folded food carton comprising:

a bottom panel,

a pair of opposing end panels extending from said bottom panel,

a rear side panel and a forward side panel opposing said rear side panel, said side panels extending from said bottom panel,

a plurality of foldable gussets, each said gusset hingedly connecting one of said end panels and one of said side panels, each said gusset including a first gusset panel and a second gusset panel hingedly connected with said first gusset panel, said first and second gusset panels foldable into an overlapping configuration for forming said bottom, side and end panels into a carton, said first gusset panel having an upper portion, said second gusset panel having a second panel upper edge, in said overlapping configuration said upper portion of said first gusset panel extending above said second panel upper edge, and

a top panel extending from said rear side panel, said top panel hingedly connected with said rear side panel at a top panel perforation line, a tuck flap extending from and hingedly connected with said top panel at a tuck flap perforation line, said tuck flap having at least one slot mechanism, said forward side panel having a forward side panel top edge and at least one flap mechanism, said top panel foldable along said top panel perforation line to a closed configuration over said side, end and bottom panels, and in said closed configuration said slot mechanism engaged with said flap mechanism and said tuck flap perforation line in juxtaposition with said forward side panel top edge.

22. The folded food carton of claim 21 wherein:

said end panels have an interior surface, said upper portion of each of said first gusset panels fastened to said interior surface of one of said end panels, and

said end panel is hingedly connected to said bottom panel at an end panel fold line, in said overlapping configuration of said first and second gusset panels said second panel upper edge disposed parallel to said end panel fold line.