Paperboard food carton and divider

• US 5,039,003 A
• Filed: 08/02/1988
• Issued: 08/13/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: Mesquida, Barbara, Gordon, Robert L., Roosa, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US07/227,214
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 229/113, 229/114, 229/120.06, 229/120.32, 229/902, 229/906, 229/8, 229/145, 229/148, 229/149, 229/150, 220/22, 206/568, 426/115, 426/119, 426/120, 426/129
• US Class Current: 229/120.32
• 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 229/906 Baked goods

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 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.

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 divider sheet is generally rectangular and formed of paperboard, and wherein the divider sheet has two finger-grippable portions each of which extends laterally beyond the side walls of the top cover and of the bottom tray, said two finger grippable portions being at opposite ends of the divider sheet.

4. The food carton of claim 3 wherein the divider sheet is crimped parallel to each of its laterally extending edges, the crimps being spaced from each other by an amount equal to the distance between the opposite upper side edges of the bottom tray upon which the divider sheet lies, to thereby assist in locating and in maintaining it in place relative to the bottom tray.

5. The food carton of claim 1 wherein the depth of the top cover of the carton is greater than the depth of the bottom tray.

6. 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 cover, the lower temperature food product lying on top of the divider sheet, whereby the first and second food products are separated from each other and are at least partially thermally isolated from each other.

7. The food carton of claim 3 wherein the divider sheet and the carton paperboard are coated with grease resistant material.

8. The food carton of claim 2 wherein the free, lower edges of the side walls of the top cover are convex, to thereby yield an improved wiping action on top of the divider sheet when the latter is withdrawn from the carton.

9. The food carton of claim 2 wherein the upper edges of the side walls of the top cover are concave, to thereby assist in maintaining in place, centrally of the carton, a food product located on top of the divider panel.

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.

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.