Electrically heated pizza package

• US 4,134,004 A
• Filed: 07/18/1977
• Issued: 01/09/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James River-Norwalk Incorporated (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Can Co (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: VanHandel, Gerald J., Anderson, Thomas L., Rasmussen, Glenn A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truhe, J. V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US05/816,444
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 338/254, 338/255, 338/211, 338/212, 338/307-309, 338/314, 338/327, 338/328, 338/324, 338/533, 339/91, 339/176 MP, 219/213, 219/214, 219/345, 219/408, 219/541, 219/543, 219/385-387
• US Class Current: 219/387
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 1/52 Portable ovens; Collapsible ovens
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 47/145 Hand carriers for pizza delivery, e.g. with thermal insulation, heating means or humidity control
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2585/366 Pizza
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3476 Packages provided with an electrical circuit, e.g. resistances, for heating the contents microwave susceptors B65D2581/3463
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/06 Heater elements structurally combined with coupling elements or holders
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/283 the insulating material being an inorganic material, e.g. ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/286 the insulating material being an organic material, e.g. plastic

Abstract

A paperboard carton for packaging a pizza is provided with a substantially rigid, pizza-supporting electrical-resistance heater insert comprising a corrugated paperboard panel having laminated thereto a sheet of vacuum-metallized glassine. Arc-sprayed zinc bus bars extend over opposed edges of the metallized sheet and serve as electrodes for conducting electricity through the sheet as the resistor element. Electrical energy is supplied to the electrodes by a removable terminal clip that extends through an opening provided in a side wall of the carton and both electrically and mechanically engages suitably presented electrode terminals. An insulating sheet of coated paper extends over the metallized surface, the electrodes, and the bus bars, and serves as the immediate support surface for the pizza.

Claims

1. In combination:

carton structure having at least a bottom wall portion, and a side wall portion extending transversely thereof;

means defining an opening in said side wall portion;

an electrical heater means extending over said bottom wall portion and including electrical terminal means disposed in registry with said opening and presented for releasable engagement with electrical connector means insertable through said opening to supply electrical energy for said heater means, said heater means comprising an electrically insulative panel including a sheet of corrugated paperboard, a sheet of electrically insulative material comprising glassine laminated to said panel and vacuum metallized with aluminum, and a pair of mutually spaced, elongate electrode means on said metallized sheet and extending along opposed edge portions thereof, said electrode means comprising strips of arc-sprayed zinc on said aluminum, and means providing electrical connection between said electrode means and said electrical terminal means;

a pivotal flap on said carton side wall extending partially over said opening;

electrical connector means provided with an insulative body portion and contact means thereon, said body portion extending through said opening for engagement of said contact means with said terminal means; and

means defining a projection on said body portion disposed for engagement by said flap in a inwardly pivoted postion thereof effected by the extension of said body portion through said opening, said engagement of said projection by said flap being effective forcibly to retain said connector means in said opening in maintenance of the recited contact.

2. In combination:

a carton structure having at least a bottom wall portion, and a side wall porton extending transversely thereof;

means defining an opening in said side wall portion;

electrical heater means extending over said bottom wall portion and including electrical terminal means disposed in registry with said opening and presented for releasable engagement with electrical connector means insertable through said opening to supply electrical energy for said heater means, said heater means comprising an electrically insulative panel, a sheet of vacuum metallized, electrically insulative material laminated to said panel, a pair of mutually spaced, elongate electrode means on said metallized sheet and extending along opposed edge portions thereof, means providing electrical connection between said electrode means and said electrical terminal means comprising mutually aligned extensions of said electrode means on said metallized sheet, and means defining an elongate cut in said metallized sheet between said aligned extensions and adjacent portions of said metallized sheet to the side of said extensions disposed betwen said electrode means, said cut terminating at each end thereof in the region of an electrode means, and said terminal being defined by confronting, spaced free end portions of said aligned extensions;

a pivotal flap on said carton wall extending partially over said opening;

electrical connector means provided with an insulative body portion and contact means thereon, said body portion extending through said opening for engagement of said contact means with said terminal means; and

means defining a projection on said body portion disposed for engagement by said flap in an inwardly pivoted position thereof effected by the extension of said body portion through said opening, said engagment of said projection by said flap being effective forcibly to retain said connector means in said opening in maintenance of the recited contact.

3. In combination:

carton structure having at least a bottom wall portion, and a side wall portion extending transversely thereof;

means defining an opening in said side wall portion;

electrical heater means extending over said bottom wall portion and including electrical terminal means disposed in registry with said opening and presented for releasable engagement with electrical connector means insertable through said opening to supply electrical energy for said heater means;

a pivotal flap on said carton side wall extending partially over said opening; and

electrical connector means provided with an insulative body portion and contact means thereon, said body portion extending through said opening for engagement of said contact means with said terminal means, and further including means defining a projection disposed for engagement by said flap in an inwardly pivoted position thereof effected by the recited extension of said body portion through said opening, said engagement of said projection by said flap being effective forcibly to retain said connector means in said opening in maintenance of the recited electrical contact.