Food container
First Claim
1. A food container, comprising:
- (a) a top having a top planar surface and a plurality of top side elements, each top side element extending from the top planar surface at an oblique angle and each top side element coupled to two adjacent top side elements at oblique angles, at least one of said top side elements having an opening; and
(b) a bottom having a bottom planar surface and a plurality of bottom side elements, each bottom side element extending from the bottom planar surface at an oblique angle and each bottom side element coupled to two adjacent bottom side elements at oblique angles, at least one of said bottom side elements having a locking tongue; and
(c) the top and bottom lockable by engagement of the at least one tongue and one opening so that the top overlies the bottom, and the top side elements overhang at least some of the bottom side elements.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A food container consisting of a top and a bottom having obliquely angled side elements is disclosed. The container may be cut from a single blank of container material and formed into a hingedly connected top and bottom. When the top and bottom are open and substantially coplanar the obliquely angled sides permit multiple boxes or containers to be nested within one another for efficient stacking. A preferred embodiment includes tops and bottoms with eight side elements comprising one piece side elements and side elements having overlapping panels. When closed, the top side elements overlap the bottom side elements. The container also includes a locking tongue and opening which receives the tongue. A tab may be provided to assist in moving the tongue to disengage it from the opening.
31 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A food container, comprising:
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(a) a top having a top planar surface and a plurality of top side elements, each top side element extending from the top planar surface at an oblique angle and each top side element coupled to two adjacent top side elements at oblique angles, at least one of said top side elements having an opening; and (b) a bottom having a bottom planar surface and a plurality of bottom side elements, each bottom side element extending from the bottom planar surface at an oblique angle and each bottom side element coupled to two adjacent bottom side elements at oblique angles, at least one of said bottom side elements having a locking tongue; and (c) the top and bottom lockable by engagement of the at least one tongue and one opening so that the top overlies the bottom, and the top side elements overhang at least some of the bottom side elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A food container, comprising:
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(a) a first piece having a first planar surface and a plurality of first side elements, each of said first side elements extending from the first planar surface at an oblique angle and each of said first side elements coupled to two adjacent first side elements at oblique angles; (b) a second piece coupled to the first piece and having a second planar surface and a plurality of second side elements, each of said second side elements extending from the second planar surface at an oblique angle and each of said second side elements coupled to two adjacent second side elements at oblique angles; and (c) each of two of said second side elements having a locking tongue and each of two of said first side elements having an opening for engaging one of the tongues so as to lockingly engage the first piece and the second piece thereby defining an interior volume for receiving food. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A blank for forming a food container, comprising:
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(a) a planar, unitary piece of container material, the piece having a plurality of panels defined by cut lines and score lines, the panels including a first panel group and a second panel group, the first panel group being hingedly connected to the second panel group; (b) the first panel group comprising a first central panel having a plurality of first side panels coupled to a perimeter of the first central panel and separated from the first central panel by score lines, the plurality of first side panels including composite first side panels having a first web panel and at least one first connector panel separated from the first web panel by at least one score line, the plurality of first side panels further including first planar side panels comprising a single planar panel, the first connector panels being proximate to the first planar side panels and separated from the first planar side panels by cut lines, at least one of the first side panels having an opening, one of the first side panels having a hinge connection connecting the first panel group to the second panel group; (c) the second panel group comprising a second central panel having a plurality of second side panels coupled to a perimeter of the second central panel and separated from the second central panel by score lines, the plurality of second side panels including second composite side panels having a second web panel and at least one second connector panel separated from the second web panel by at least one score line, the plurality of second side panels also including second planar side panels comprising a single planar panel, the second connector panels being proximate to the second planar side panels and separated from the second planar side panels by cut lines, at least one of the second side panels having a support panel and a tongue panel connected thereto, the tongue panel including a locking tongue for engaging the opening, one of the second side panels having a hinge connection connected to the first side panel having a hinge connection. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A food container, comprising:
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(a) a first part having a first central planar surface and depending first side elements; (b) a second part having a second central planar surface and depending second side elements; (c) a lock mechanism comprising a receiving portion and an engaging portion, the receiving portion comprising one of the first side elements, which has an aperture, and a proximately located hingedly connected tab that at least partially extends over a portion of the aperture, the engaging portion comprising one of the second side elements, which has a hingedly coupled tongue, and in which insertion of the tongue into the aperture latches the first part to the second part and a force against the tab urges the tab against the tongue to move the tongue out of the aperture thereby disengaging the first part from the second part. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification