Reusable Foldable Food Storage and Serving Container

• US 20160288956A1
• Filed: 04/04/2016
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emily Moore
• Original Assignee: Emily Moore
• Inventors: Moore, Emily
• Granted Patent: US 9,963,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/162 the container, the lid and the hinge being made of one piece B65D43/161 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2042 triangular
• 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 5/2057 Inter-engaging self-locking flaps B65D5/4254 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/3642 the secured corners presenting diagonal, bissecting or similar folding lines, the central panel presenting no folding line
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3453 Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

A foldable food storage container includes a main storage area and a cover and is able to convert from a folded state to an expanded state and vice versa. The main storage area includes a bottom panel, a front panel, a rear panel, a left panel, a right panel, and multiple fold lines. The main storage area is able to store, transport, and serve food. The cover includes one or more flaps and a fastener, which is able to selectively secure the cover to the food storage area when the container is in an expanded state.

Claims

1. A foldable food storage and serving container comprising:

a bottom panel;

a left side panel coupled to the bottom panel along a left side fold line;

a right side panel coupled to the bottom panel along a right side fold line;

a rear panel coupled to the bottom panel along a back fold line; and

a front panel coupled to the bottom panel along a front fold line.

2. The foldable food storage and serving container of claim 1, wherein the bottom panel is rectangular.

3. The foldable food storage and serving container of claim 1, wherein the left side panel, right side panel, rear panel, and front panel are trapezoidal.

4. The foldable food storage and serving container of claim 1, wherein the rear panel is coupled to the left side panel along a rear left fold line and the right side panel along a rear right fold line, and the front panel is coupled to the left side panel along a front left fold line and the right side panel along a front right fold line.

5. The foldable food storage and serving container of claim 1, wherein the left side panel and the right side panel each comprise a side front panel, a side medial panel coupled to the side front panel along a front side fold line, and a side rear panel coupled to the side medial panel along a rear side fold line.

6. The foldable food storage and serving container of claim 5, wherein the side front panels and side rear panels are triangular.

7. The foldable food storage and serving container of claim 5, wherein the side medial panels are trapezoidal.

8. The foldable food storage and serving container of claim 5, wherein the food storage container is able to fold into a flattened state wherein at least one face of each panel contacts a face of at least one other panel and an expanded state wherein each face of each panel is not in contact with any other face of any other panel.

9. The foldable food storage and serving container of claim 5, wherein the food storage container is able to change from the flattened state to the expanded state or change from the expanded state to the flattened state by repositioning at least one panel relative to at least one other panel by changing an angle along a fold line between the at least one panel and the at least one other panel.

10. The foldable food storage and serving container of claim 1 further comprising a lid coupled to the back panel along a lid fold line, the lid including a medial fold line, a flap fold line, and a fastening element that is able to be selectively coupled to the front panel.

11. A storage and serving container comprising:

a plurality of planar elements;

a plurality of scored fold lines that couple the plurality of planar elements together; and

a fastening element that selectively couples at least one planar element from the plurality of planar elements to at least one other planar element from among the plurality of planar elements.

12. The storage and serving container of claim 11, wherein the plurality of planar elements comprises:

a bottom panel;

a front panel;

a rear panel;

a pair of side panels; and

a lid.

13. The storage and serving container of claim 12, wherein each side panel in the pair of side panels includes a front panel, a medial panel, and a rear panel.

14. The storage and serving container of claim 12, wherein the lid comprises a rear panel, a front panel, a pair of side flaps, and a front flap.

15. The storage and serving container of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of planar elements is coupled to at least one other planar element from the plurality of planar elements along a scored fold line from among the plurality of scored fold lines.

16. A foldable food storage container comprising:

a main storage compartment; and

a lid.

17. The foldable food storage container of claim 16, wherein the main storage compartment comprises:

a rectangular bottom panel;

a trapezoidal front panel;

a trapezoidal rear panel; and

left and right trapezoidal side panels, each trapezoidal side panel comprising a triangular front panel, a trapezoidal medial panel, and a triangular rear panel.

18. The foldable food storage container of claim 17, wherein the lid comprises:

a rectangular front panel;

a rectangular rear panel;

a trapezoidal front flap;

and two trapezoidal side flaps.

19. The foldable food storage container of claim 18, wherein:

the rectangular bottom panel is coupled to the trapezoidal front panel along a first fold line,

the rectangular bottom panel is coupled to the trapezoidal rear panel along a second fold line;

the rectangular bottom panel is coupled to the left trapezoidal side panel along a third fold line;

the rectangular bottom panel is coupled to the right trapezoidal side panel along a fourth fold line;

the rectangular rear panel of the lid is coupled to the trapezoidal rear panel along a fifth fold line;

the trapezoidal front panel is coupled to the left side panel along a sixth fold line;

the trapezoidal front panel is coupled to the right side panel along a seventh fold line;

the trapezoidal rear panel is coupled to the left side panel along a eighth fold line; and

the trapezoidal rear panel is coupled to the right side panel along a ninth fold line.

20. The foldable food storage container of claim 19, wherein the first fold line, second fold line, and the fifth fold line are parallel to each other and wherein the third fold line and the fourth fold line are perpendicular to the first fold line.