Paperboard food carton and divider
First Claim
1. A food carton formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard comprising a bottom tray having an upper end;
- a top cover having a lower end, a main 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 bottom tray 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 top cover 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 said main hinge, a separate divider sheet of relatively low thermal conductivity extending across the upper end of the bottom tray and at least substantially closing the upper end of the bottom tray and the lower end of the top cover, the divider sheet having at least one finger-grippable portion extending laterally beyond the side walls of the top cover and of the bottom tray, whereby the finger-grippable portion of the divider sheet can be grasped to pull the divider sheet laterally and uncover the upper end of the bottom tray while the carton is closed.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A food carton formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard comprising a bottom tray having an upper end;
- a top cover having a lower end, a main 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 bottom tray 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 top cover 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 said main hinge, a separate divider sheet of relatively low thermal conductivity extending across the upper end of the bottom tray and at least substantially closing the upper end of the bottom tray and the lower end of the top cover, the divider sheet having at least one finger-grippable portion extending laterally beyond the side walls of the top cover and of the bottom tray, whereby the finger-grippable portion of the divider sheet can be grasped to pull the divider sheet laterally and uncover the upper end of the bottom tray while the carton is closed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- a top cover having a lower end, a main hinge connecting said bottom tray to said top cover; and
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10. 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 tho 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 being defined by joined end forming panels of each half, said hinge axis joined end panels being of substantially the same width as measured parallel to said blank, longitudinal axis, the side forming panels of one half being of equal width as measured transversely to said blank longitudinal axis, the side forming panels of the other half being of equal width as measured transversely to said blank longitudinal axis, but being of a greater width than the first mentioned equal width side forming panels, the end forming panel remote from the hinge axis of that half having the lesser width side forming panels being of a lesser width than the width of the end forming panel remote from the hinge axis of that half having the greater width side forming panels;
- both of said latter widths measured parallel to said blank longitudinal axis, and wherein the free edges of those side panels having the greater width are accurately curved outwardly with respect to said blank longitudinal axis and are not connected to any portion of the blank.
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11. 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 being defined by joined end forming panels of each half, said hinge axis joined end panels being of substantially the same width as measured parallel to said blank, longitudinal axis, the side forming panels of one half being of equal width as measured transversely to said blank longitudinal axis, the side forming panels of the other half being of equal width as measured transversely to said blank longitudinal axis, but being of a greater width than the first mentioned equal width side forming panels, the end forming panel remote from the hinge axis of that half having the lesser width side forming panels being of a lesser width than the width of the end forming panel remote from the hinge axis of that half having the greater width side forming panels;
- both of said latter widths measured parallel to said blank longitudinal axis, and wherein the free edges of those side panels having the greater width are accurately curved outwardly with respect to said blank longitudinal axis and are not connected to any portion of the blank and wherein the hingable connections between those side panels having the greater width and their respective central panel are bowed towards each other.
Specification