Paperboard food carton and divider

• US 4,844,330 A
• Filed: 02/06/1986
• Issued: 07/04/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: Gordon, Robert L., Roosa, Paul D., Mesquida, Barbara
• Primary Examiner(s): Little, Willis
• Application Number:
  US06/826,693
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 229/33, 229/15, 229/27, 229/902, 229/DIG. 13, 229/DIG. 10, 229/120.02, 229/120.03, 229/120.04, 229/120.06, 206/568, 220/4 B, 220/4 E, 220/22
• US Class Current: 229/120.06
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/08 with provisions for removing or destroying, e.g. to facilitate mixing of contents
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/48024 inserted
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6626 formed by folding extensions of a side panel of a container body formed by erecting a "cross-like" blank
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/902 Box for prepared or processed food

Abstract

A clamshell or other hinged top cover type carton for hamburgers is provided with a divider sheet formed from paperboard or a paperboard laminate. The ends of the divider sheet extend laterally beyond the side edges of the carton. A bun heel and hot hamburger patty are located in the lower half of the container and a bun crown and various toppings are located in the top container half. The divider sheet separates the hot meat patty from the cooler toppings. For hamburger consumption, the user pulls a laterally extending edge of the divider sheet laterally away from the carton, the bun crown and toppings fall on to the hot hamburger patty and bun heel, thereby preparing the hamburger sandwich. The consumer now opens the carton to gain access to the sandwich.

Claims

1. A food carton formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard comprising a bottom tray;

a top cover, a hinge connecting said bottom tray to said top cover; and

means on said bottom tray and said top cover to releasably latch and close said carton;

said bottom tray comprising a base wall, a front wall, a rear wall; and

a pair of side walls, each such wall hingedly connected to, and extending from said base wall;

said top cover comprising a top wall;

a front wall;

a rear wall; and

a pair of side walls, each such wall hingedly connected to and extending from said top wall;

the rear wall of the bottom tray and the rear wall of the top cover being integrally joined by a said hinge, a separate divider sheet of relatively low thermal conductivity extending across and positioned on the upper end of the bottom tray and at least substantially closing it and the lower end of the top cover, the divider sheet having at least one finger-grippable portion extending laterally beyond the sides of the tray, whereby the finger-grippable portion can be grasped to pull the divider sheet laterally and uncover the upper end of the bottom tray while the carton is closed the divider sheet being of such length that two of its opposite ends extend laterally beyond the upper end of the bottom tray to thereby define two finger-grippable portions, and wherein the lower edge of at least one top cover side wall carries an integral wiping panel, said wiping panel being bent towards and extending into the interior of the food carton, one surface of said wiping panel being in at least partial surface to surface contact with the upper surface of said divider panel, whereby when the divider panel is moved laterally toward the wiper panel, the wiping action on the top surface of the divider panel is increased.

2. The food carton of claim 1 wherein the top cover and the bottom tray are each in the form of a truncated, four-sided pyramid, to thereby form a clamshell type carton.

3. The food carton of claim 1 wherein the depth of the upper half of the carton is greater than the depth of the lower carton half.

4. The food carton of claim 1 including a hot, first food product within the bottom tray and including a second food product, having a lower temperature than the first food product, in the top tray, the lower temperature food product lying on top of the divider sheet, whereby the first and second food product are separated from each other and are at least partially thermally isolated from each other, the distance between the free edges of the divider panel being greater than the diameter of the second food product.

5. A one piece blank of stiff, resilient and foldable material, such as paperboard, the blank having two halves each cut and foldable and erectable to form a tray, the two tray forming halves hinged together along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the blank and adapted to form a hinged carton, the hinge axis separating the two halves, each half having a central panel surrounded by hingable side forming and end forming panels, the hinge axis joining an end panel of each half, said hinge axis joined end panels being of substantially the same width, the side panels of one half being of equal width, the side panels of the other half being of equal width, but being of a greater width than the first mentioned equal width side panels, the end panel remote from the hinge axis of that half having the lesser width side panels being of a lesser width than the width of the end panel remote from the hinge axis of that half having the greater width side panels, and wherein those side panels of one of the halves which are of greater width are provided with hinged, laterally extending wiping panels adapted to fold inwardly of the mouth of that tray having the greater width side panels.

6. The one piece blank of claim 5 including means at each longitudinal end of the blank for latching the two halves together when the blank is folded and erected to form a hinged carton defined by two hinged trays.

7. The one piece of claim 5 wherein the end panel, remote from the hinge axis, of that half having the greater width side panels is provided with a hinged flap.