Stackable food tray with condiment compartment

• US 6,543,679 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pactiv Packaging Incorporated (Pactiv)
• Original Assignee: Dopaco Incorporated (Graeme Richard Hart, MBA)
• Inventors: Cai, Liming, Eisman, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US09/892,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20020011514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 229/120.06, 229/120.12, 229/120.18, 229/120.29, 229/120.31, 229/120.35, 229/120.38, 229/160.2, 229/902, 229/904, 229/906
• US Class Current: 229/120.06
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2047 trapezoidal, e.g. to form a body with diverging side walls B65D5/2033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/28 with extensions of sides permanently secured to adjacent sides, with sides permanently secured together by adhesive strips, or with sides held in place solely by rigidity of material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/48002 integral
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/904 Compartmented fast food holder or lap tray
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/906 Baked goods

Abstract

A food tray for holding food and a condiment is formed from a unitary paperboard blank. The food tray has a food compartment and a condiment compartment, and the condiment compartment is deployable from a stowed position overlaying one or more sidewalls of the food compartment to a deployed position for holding condiments. Multiple trays can be stacked in a nested fashion when the condiment compartment is stowed.

Claims

1. A container comprising:

a bottom wall, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a third sidewall;

a panel having a first end connected to said first sidewall at a first point and a second end connect to said second sidewall at a second point, said panel being shiftable from a first position overlying a portion of said first sidewall and a second position wherein a portion of said panel is spaced apart from said first sidewall, wherein said panel comprises a first subpanel having a first edge connected to said first sidewall at a first location and a second edge, a second subpanel having a first edge connected to said first subpanel second edge and a second edge, and a third subpanel having a first edge connected to said second subpanel second edge and a second edge connected to said second sidewall at a second location, and

wherein said second subpanel includes a third edge, said bottom and said first sidewall meet at a corner, and said second subpanel third edge overlies said corner between said bottom and said first sidewall when said panel is in said first position and said second position.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said panel comprises first and second subpanels, said first subpanel having a first edge connected to said first sidewall and a second edge, and said second subpanel having a first edge connected to said second sidewall and a second edge connected to said first subpanel second edge.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein said first subpanel is triangular.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein said second subpanel is triangular.

5. The container of claim 2 wherein said first subpanel includes a third edge having a length, said second subpanel includes a third edge having a length, and said first point is separated from said second point by a first distance, the sum of said first subpanel third edge length and said second subpanel third edge length being greater than said first distance.

6. The container of claim 4 wherein said first sidewall, and said second sidewall and said bottom define a corner of said container, and wherein said triangular first panel includes a vertex extending into said corner.

7. The container of claim 4 wherein said first sidewall, and said second sidewall and said bottom define a corner of said container, and wherein said triangular first panel includes a vertex extending into said corner when said panel is in said first position and said second position.

8. The container of claim 5 wherein said first subpanel third edge includes a curved portion.

9. The container of claim 1 wherein said third sidewall connects said first sidewall to said second sidewall.

10. The container of claim 1 including a second panel connected between said first sidewall and said second sidewall.

11. The container of claim 1 wherein said first subpanel includes a third edge having a length, said second subpanel includes a third edge having a length, said third subpanel includes a third edge having a length, and said first point is separated from said second point by a first distance, the sum of said first subpanel third edge length said second subpanel third edge length and said third subpanel third edge length being greater than said first distance.

12. The container of claim 11 including a second panel connected between said first sidewall and said second sidewall.

13. A unitary blank for forming a container comprising

a rectangular first panel having first, second, third and fourth edges,

a second panel extending from said first panel first edge at a first fold line and having an outer edge;

and

a flap extending from said second panel outer edge at a second fold line and comprising first, second, third and fourth subpanels, said first subpanel being quadrilateral and having a first edge laying along said first fold line when folded, and wherein said second subpanel includes a first edge collinear with said fold line.

14. The blank of claim 13 wherein said second subpanel first edge is separated from said second panel by a cut.

15. The blank of claim 13 wherein at least two of said subpanels are triangular.

16. The blank of claim 13 wherein said first subpanel has the same shape as said second panel.

17. The blank of claim 16 wherein said first subpanel is connected to said second panel along a fold line and includes first and second side edges, and wherein said second subpanel is connected to said first subpanel first side edge and said third subpanel is connected to said first subpanel second side edge.

18. The blank of claim 17 wherein said second subpanel includes first and second triangular portions separated by a fold line.

19. A container comprising:

a bottom wall, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall;

a panel having a first end connected to said first sidewall at a first point and a second end connect to said second sidewall at a second point, said panel being shiftable from a first position overlying a portion of said first sidewall and a second position wherein a portion of said panel is spaced apart from said first sidewall, wherein said panel comprises first and second subpanels, said first subpanel having a first edge connected to said first sidewall and a second edge, and said second subpanel having a first edge connected to said second sidewall and a second edge connected to said first subpanel second edge, wherein said first and second subpanels are triangular, and wherein said first sidewall, said second sidewall, and said bottom define a corner of said container, and wherein said triangular first panel includes a vertex extending into paid bottom.

20. The container of claim 19 wherein said first subpanel includes a third edge having a length, said second subpanel includes a third edge having a length, and said first point is separated from said second point by a first distance, the sum of said first subpanel third edge length and said second subpanel third edge length being greater than said first distance.

21. The container of claim 19 wherein said first sidewall, and said second sidewall and said bottom define a corner of said container, and wherein said triangular first panel includes a vertex extending into said corner when said panel is in said first position and said second position.

22. The container of claim 20 wherein said first subpanel third edge includes a curved portion.

23. The container of claim 19 including a second panel connected between said first sidewall and said second sidewall.

24. The container of claim 19 wherein said first panel comprises a first subpanel having a first edge connected to said first sidewall at a first location and a second edge, a second subpanel having a first edge connected to said first subpanel second edge and a second edge, and a third subpanel having a first edge connected to said second subpanel second edge and a second edge connected to said second sidewall at a second location.

25. The container of claim 24 wherein said first subpanel includes a third edge having a length, said second subpanel includes a third edge having a length, said third subpanel includes a third edge having a length, and said first point is separated from said second point by a first distance, the sum of said first subpanel third edge length said second subpanel third edge length and said third subpanel third edge length being greater than said first distance.

26. The container of claim 25 including a second panel connected between said first sidewall and said second sidewall.

27. The container of claim 25 wherein said second subpanel includes a fourth edge, said bottom and said first sidewall meet at a corner, and said second subpanel fourth edge overlies said corner between said bottom and said first sidewall when said panel is in said first position and said second position.