Food tray with condiment compartment

• US 6,588,652 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2002
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pactiv Packaging Incorporated (Pactiv)
• Original Assignee: Dopaco Incorporated (Graeme Richard Hart, MBA)
• Inventors: Cai, Liming
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US10/058,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20020108504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 229/117.04, 229/117.07, 229/120.12, 229/120.18, 229/120.35, 229/902, 229/904, 229/906, 229/120.06, 229/120.29, 229/120.31, 229/120.38, 229/160.2
• US Class Current: 229/117.07
• 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 229/902 Box for prepared or processed food

Abstract

A foldable food tray with an integrally formed condiment pocket coextensive with one wall of the tray and defined by a movable partition panel pivotal between a first closed position for foldable collapsing of the pocket with the tray, and a second open position engaged between opposed tray walls to define the pocket and preclude an inward folding of the pocket and tray.

Claims

1. A foldable food tray with an internal condiment pocket, said tray comprising a bottom having opposed end edges and opposed side edges extending between said end edges, a wall about said bottom, said wall including laterally spaced side walls integral with and inwardly foldable relative to said bottom along said side edges, an end wall integral with an inwardly foldable relative to said bottom along one of said end edges, said side and end walls being selectively movable between a first inwardly folded position in substantially parallel stacked position on said bottom and a second outwardly open position extending upward relative to said bottom to define an upwardly opening compartment, a partition panel within said compartment coextensive with said end wall immediately inward thereof, said partition panel having a lower edge foldably joined to said bottom immediately adjacent said end wall for folding movement with said end wall between said folded and open positions of said walls, said partition panel, in said open position of said walls, being inwardly foldable along said lower edge thereof relative to said end wall from a closed position overlying said end wall to an expanded position defining a pocket between said partition panel and said end wall within said tray compartment.

2. The foldable food tray of claim 1 wherein said partition panel, in said expanded position, extending between and engaging said side walls in inwardly spaced relation to said end wall and retaining said side walls against inward folding of said side walls to said inwardly folded position.

3. The foldable food tray of claim 2 including a second end wall integral with and inwardly foldable relative to a second one of said end edges, each of said side and end walls having opposed ends joining the ends of adjacent walls along fold lines defined therebetween whereby said wall is continuous about said bottom, said walls each folding relative to the adjacent walls about the joined ends thereof upon movement of said walls between said folded and open positions.

4. The foldable food tray of claim 3 wherein each side wall includes a pair of fold lines therein, each fold line extending diagonally from a corner defined at one end of the corresponding side wall at the corresponding side edge of the bottom across the wall to an outer edge thereof, the pair of fold lines in each side wall dividing each of these walls into a central section and a pair of end sections foldable relative to the central section to allow for an inward folding of each side wall on itself and over said bottom.

5. The foldable food tray of claim 4 wherein the central section of each divided side wall is of a generally trapezoidal configuration, and each of the end sections thereof is of a triangular configuration.

6. The foldable food tray of claim 5 wherein said partition panel includes opposed end edges, an end panel integral with each end edge and foldable relative thereto along a fold line defined along the end edge, and a glue flap extending from each end panel with a fold line between the glue flap and end panel for folding movement of the end panel relative to the glue flap, each end panel and extending glue flap overlying an adjacent triangular end section of an adjacent side wall, the glue flap being bonded to the end section for folding movement of the end panel and glue flap with said side wall end section, the end panel being free of the side wall end section for folding movement relative to said end section and glue flap.

7. The foldable food tray of claim 6 wherein each of said glue flaps including a portion thereof extending into free overlying relation to the central section of the corresponding side wall beyond the diagonal fold line defining the side wall end section to which the glue flap is bonded.

8. The foldable food tray of claim 7 wherein said end panels, in the closed position of the partition panel, engage and directly overlying the adjacent end sections of said side walls in a common plane with the associated glue flaps, said end panels in the expanded position of said partition panel being inverted out of the common planes of the associated glue flaps and engaging and directly overlying the glue flaps.

9. The foldable food tray of claim 8 wherein said partition panel and adjacent end wall have substantially coextensive upper edges, a portion of the upper edge of said partition panel extending above a corresponding portion of the upper edge of said end wall allowing access to said partition panel upper edge for inward pivotal movement of the partition panel relative to said end wall.

10. The foldable food tray of claim 9 wherein the combined length of said partition panel and end panels, between said side walls in the open position of the side walls, is greater than the distance between said side walls, requiring an over-center movement of said end panels as said partition panel moves between said closed and open positions thereof, whereby said partition panel is physically retained in each of said closed and open positions against inadvertent movement therefrom.

11. The foldable food tray of claim 8 wherein the combined length of said partition panel and end panels, between said side walls, is greater than the distance between said side walls, requiring an over-center movement of said end panels as said partition panel moves between said closed and open positions thereof for a physical retention of said partition panel in each of said closed and open positions against inadvertent movement therefrom.

12. The foldable food tray of claim 3 wherein each side wall includes fold lines therein extending transversely thereacross outward from said bottom and dividing each side wall into multiple sections allowing for an inward folding of each side wall with the sections in overlying relation to each other and to said bottom.

13. A foldable food tray with an internal condiment pocket, said tray comprising a bottom, an opposed pair of side walls foldably joined to said bottom, a first end wall foldably joined to said bottom and extending between said side walls, said end and side walls having adjacent ends and being foldably joined at the adjacent ends thereof, said side walls comprising foldable wall sections allowing for an inward folding of said side walls into overlying relation to each other and said bottom, said end wall being selectively foldable over into overlying relation to said inwardly folded side walls, a partition positioned immediately inward of said end wall and extending between said opposed side walls, said partition having opposed ends adjacent said side walls, and means mounting each partition end to the adjacent side wall for selective movement of the partition between a closed position overlying and engaging said end wall for folding therewith, and a second open position inwardly spaced from said end wall and in bracing engagement with said opposed side walls inward of said end wall to preclude folding of said side walls.

14. The foldable food tray of claim 13 wherein said partition includes a lower edge foldably joined to said bottom for pivotal movement of said partition between said closed and open positions thereof.

15. A unitary blank of foldable sheet material comprising a bottom panel, a pair of end wall panels longitudinally aligned with said bottom panel with fold lines defined therebetween, a partition panel joined to one end wall panel and extending longitudinally therebeyond, a parting line between said partition panel and said one end wall panel, a pair of side wall panels transversely of and to opposite sides of said bottom panel and extending longitudinally along the length thereof, fold lines defined between said bottom panel and said side wall panels, fold lines extending diagonally transversely across each side wall panel dividing the side wall panel into a generally trapezoidal central section and two generally triangular end sections, said partition panel having opposed longitudinally directed edges, each with an end panel integral therewith with a fold line defined therebetween, and a glue flap integral with each end panel with a fold line defined between the glue flap and the end panel.

16. The unitary blank of claim 15 wherein the parting line defined between said partition panel and the adjacent end wall panel includes a central section wherein the panels are completely severed from each other and two end lengths wherein the partition panel and adjacent end wall panel are foldably joined and readily separable upon lateral movement of the partition panel away from the adjacent end wall panel.