Food container assembly

• US 3,908,852 A
• Filed: 09/11/1972
• Issued: 09/30/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lyman D. Dunn, Sam Ricobene
• Original Assignee: Lyman D. Dunn, Sam Ricobene
• Inventors: Dunn, Lyman D., Ricobene, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Lowrance, George E.
• Application Number:
  US05/287,651
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 220/4B,4E,4C,4D,9F,23.6 206/4,541,550,545 217/25.5,26,26.5
• US Class Current: 206/550
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/20 Lunch or picnic boxes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/188 the container being formed by two mating halves
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/083 by means of additional elements, e.g. modular

Abstract

A nestable stackable food container for the temporary storage of items, particularly food items, characterized by the provision of interengageable tray-like members having a channeled interior bottom surface and vent means leading outwardly of the tray members, with the tray members including a bottom, a top, which is nestably associated with the bottom, for containing a single food item; and a plurality of intermediate tray members which may be stacked in vertical tandem for containing a plurality of food pieces in a unitary stacked carton arrangement.

Claims

1. A container assembly comprising:

a bottom end panel having an inner face defining a support surface, and a plurality of bottom side walls extending upwardly from the inner face, each bottom side wall terminating in an upper edge defining an irregular offset portion, said bottom panel having a plurality of vent ports or apertures for air communication with the exterior;

at least one intermediate panel adapted to fit on top of the bottom end panel and having a generally horizontal web with a top surface defining a support surface, the web of said intermediate panel including a plurality of apertures for permitting the flow of gas and moisture through said intermediate panel, a plurality of intermediate side walls depending from said web and terminating in an offset lower edge complementary to said bottom end panel upper edge and adapted to matingly interengage with said bottom end panel upper edge, and a plurality of upstanding intermediate side walls terminating in an offset upper edge identical with said bottom side wall upper edge; and

a top end panel identical to said bottom panel to fit on top of the intermediate panel and having an inner bottom face, and a plurality of side walls depending from the inner face and terminating in a downwardly facing lower edge identical to said depending intermediate side wall lower edge and adapted to matingly interengage with said upstanding intermediate side wall upper edge, each of said intermediate and bottom panels having on its lower surface and said top panel having on its upper surface a plurality of transverse intersecting channels defining a plurality of pads for supporting a food product with said channels forming conduits for air flow from the bottom panel vent ports through the container and exiting from said top panel vent ports to keep the foot product crisp.

2. The carton member of claim 1 wherein the apertures include vents provided at the intersection of each side wall and in a regular pattern in the panel area.