COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER

• US 3,833,113 A
• Filed: 12/14/1972
• Issued: 09/03/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James Osier
• Original Assignee: James Osier
• Inventors: Osier, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixson, Jr., William T.
• Application Number:
  US05/315,142
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 206/46R,46F 229/1.5B,31R,51TS,51AS,41C
• US Class Current: 206/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 17/00 Rigid or semi-rigid containers specially constructed to be opened by cutting or piercing, or by tearing of frangible members or portions containers made of paper B65D3/00, B65D5/00; frangible inner closure members associated with caps, lids or covers B65D51/20
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2033 polygonal having more than four sides, e.g. hexagonal, octogonal
• 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 5/245 the gussets folds comprising more than two gusset panels
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/54 Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing B65D5/06, B65D5/5233, B65D5/5253 take precedence ; break-in flaps, or members adapted to be torn-off, to provide pouring openings B65D5/70

Abstract

A disposable collapsible container adapted to contain a food product, such as a sandwich or the like, and being formed of an impervious non-metallic material, such as paperboard. The container includes a bottom wall having an upstanding peripheral wall secured thereto and the container is of generally cylindrical configuration. The peripheral wall is made up of wall sections interconnected by pairs of flaps which are normally folded together. In one embodiment, a tear strip is provided for the peripheral wall and when removed allows the peripheral wall to be collapsed and expanded to form the container into a platelike receptacle. In another embodiment, removal of the cover member allows collapsing of the container into a plate-like receptacle.

Claims

1. A disposable container formed of an impervious, non-metallic material and adapted to contain a food product, such as a sandwich, comprising a substantially flat bottom wall having a plurality of substantially straight edge portions of equal length and having an obtuse included angle between adjacent edge portions, a symmetrical peripheral wall integral with said bottom and extending upwardly therefrom, said peripheral wall including a plurality of sections each having a length corresponding to an edge portion of the bottom wall, whereby said peripheral wall is of generally cylindrical configuration, a plurality of pairs of lateral flaps, each pair of flaps interconnecting a pair of adjacent wall sections, a plurality of intermediate flaps, each interconnecting a pair of said lateral flaps, each pair of lateral flaps and each associated intermediate flap being folded adjacent each other whereby adjacent vertical edges of adjacent wall sections are disposed closely adjacent each other, each intermediate flap being substantially longer than each lateral flap, and each intermediate flap overlying the associated pair of lateral flaps and portions of a pair of wall sections, a removable cover member engaging the upper edge of said peripheral wall, said cover member when removed, said flaps when folded outwardly, and said wall sections when folded outwardly permitting said receptacle to be expanded into an upwardly concave plate type receptacle.

2. The container as defined in claim 1 and a tear strip applied to the flaps and wall sections of said peripheral wall and being tearable therefrom to permit collapsing of the peripheral wall.

3. A disposable container formed of an impervious, non-metallic material and adapted to contain a food product, such as a sandwich comprising a substantially flat bottom wall having a plurality of substantially straight edge portions of equal length and having an obtuse included angle between adjacent edge portions, a symmetrical peripheral wall integral with said bottom and extending upwardly therefrom, said peripheral wall including an upper portion and a lower portion, each portion comprised of a plurality of wall sections, each section having a length corresponding to an edge portion of the bottom wall, said lower portion of the peripheral wall extending upwardly and outwardly and said upper portion of said peripheral wall extending downwardly and outwardly, each wall section of the upper portion being connected to the wall section of the lower portion and defining a transverse fold line therebetween, said fold lines between the wall sections of said upper portion and lower portion being disposed in substantially a single plane whereby the upper portion of the peripheral wall may be folded downwardly and the lower wall portions may be collapsed toward each other to expand the container into a plate type receptacle, a plurality of pairs of flaps, each pair of flaps interconnecting a pair of adjacent wall sections, and being folded adjacent each other whereby adjacent vertical edges of adjacent wall sections are disposed closely adjacent each other, a removable cover member engaging the upper edge of said peripheral wall, said cover member when removed, said flaps when folded outwardly, and said wall sections when folded outwardly permitting said receptacle to be expanded into an upwardly concave plate type receptacle.