Food Product Holder

• US 20150060532A1
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ward J. Goldstein
• Original Assignee: Ward J. Goldstein
• Inventors: Goldstein, Ward J.
• Application Number:
  US14/457,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20150060532A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/87.08
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/001 Holders or wrappers as eating aids for fast food, e.g. hamburgers

Abstract

A holder for a food product includes three rectangular shaped sidewalls which are interconnected to establish a triangular tube-like structure with an enclosed space for receiving a portion of the food product therein. A score line is formed on a selected sidewall to create an integral hinge which allows for an operational reconfiguration of the holder to support the food product while the food product is being consumed.

Claims

1. A holder for a food product which comprises:

a plurality of sidewalls, wherein each sidewall is quadrilateral and has a first end and a second end with opposite edges extending between the first and second ends, wherein each edge of a sidewall is connected with the edge of another sidewall to establish an enclosed space bounded by the plurality of sidewalls for receiving a portion of the food product therein; and

a score line formed on a selected sidewall, wherein the score line is located midway between the edges of the selected sidewall and extends between the first and second ends thereof to create an integral hinge thereon for movement of the holder between a first configuration and a second configuration when the holder is manipulated to fold the selected sidewall along the score line and effectively collapse the holder into the second configuration and onto the food product for supporting the food product while a portion of the food product is in the enclosed space of the holder.

2. A holder as recited in claim 1 wherein the food product is made of bread and is formed as a hollow cone, and wherein a circular opening into the cone-shaped food product has a radius r.

3. A holder as recited in claim 2 wherein the enclosed space defines a central axis when the holder is in the first configuration, and each sidewall is at a distance d from the central axis, with d being less than r (d<

r).

4. A holder as recited in claim 1 wherein there are three sidewalls.

5. A holder as recited in claim 4 wherein the three sidewalls form an isosceles triangle.

6. A holder as recited in claim 4 wherein the sidewalls are rectangular.

7. A holder as recited in claim 1 wherein the holder is made of paper.

8. A method for manufacturing a holder for a food product which comprises the steps of:

cutting a pattern from a sheet of material;

forming notches into the pattern to create fold lines for delineating the pattern into a contiguous sequence including a tab, a connecting sidewall, an intermediate sidewall, and an end sidewall, wherein the connecting sidewall is positioned between the tab and the intermediate sidewall, and the intermediate side wall is positioned between the connecting sidewall and the end sidewall, and wherein the fold lines are mutually parallel and all sidewalls are substantially rectangular;

scoring the intermediate sidewall with a score line parallel to the fold lines, to divide the intermediate sidewall into a pair of panels astraddle the score line; and

affixing the tab to the end sidewall to establish an enclosed space bounded by the plurality of sidewalls for receiving a portion of the food product therein.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the material is paper.

10. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the tab is formed with a diminishing taper in a direction away from the connecting sidewall.

11. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the attaching step is accomplished using a glue.

12. A holder for a cone-shaped food product which comprises:

an end sidewall having a first end and a second end with opposite edges extending between the first and second ends;

an intermediate sidewall having a first end and a second end with opposite edges extending between the first and second ends;

a connecting sidewall having a first end and a second end with opposite edges extending between the first and second ends; and

a tab, wherein the tab is connected to an edge of the connecting sidewall by a hinge-like fold line and is affixed to the end sidewall to align an edge of the connecting side wall with an edge of the end sidewall, and wherein opposite edges of the intermediate sidewall are respectively connected by a hinge-like fold line to the edge of the connecting sidewall, opposite the tab, and by a hinge-like fold line to the edge of the end sidewall, across the sidewall from the tab to establish an enclosed space bounded by the sidewalls for receiving a portion of the food product therein.

13. A holder as recited in claim 12 further comprising a score line formed on a selected sidewall, wherein the score line is located midway between the edges of the selected sidewall and extends between the first and second ends thereof to create an integral hinge thereon for movement of the holder between a first configuration and a second configuration when the holder is manipulated to fold the selected sidewall along the score line and effectively collapse the holder into its second configuration and onto the food product for supporting the food product while a portion of the food product is in the enclosed space of the holder.

14. A holder as recited in claim 13 wherein the food product is made of bread and is formed as a hollow cone, and wherein a circular opening into the cone-shaped food product has a radius r.

15. A holder as recited in claim 14 wherein the enclosed space defines a central axis when the holder is in the first configuration, and each sidewall is at a distance d from the central axis, with d being less than r (d<

r).

16. A holder as recited in claim 15 wherein the three sidewalls form an isosceles triangle.

17. A holder as recited in claim 15 wherein the sidewalls are rectangular and an equidistant from the central axis.

18. A holder as recited in claim 12 wherein the holder is made of paper.