Fry and food scoop with condiment cells

• US 7,273,162 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Altivity Packaging LLC
• Inventors: Baker, Mark P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins; Gary E
• Application Number:
  US11/057,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 229/120.13, 229/400, 229/405, 229/902, 229/904, 229/906, 229/104, 229/164
• US Class Current: 229/120.13
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/18 by folding a single blank to U-shape to form the base of the container and opposite sides of the body portion, the remaining sides being formed primarily by extensions of one or more of these opposite sides, e.g. flaps hinged thereto B65D5/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/906 Baked goods

Abstract

A fry scoop with one or two cells store food and condiments within a folded container. The fry scoop starts as a single blank with a rear panel, a rear wall, a bottom, a front wall with flanking side panels, and a front panel. The panels fold onto their respective walls, the walls fold upwardly from the bottom, and the sides then fold and attach to the rear wall. With the sides, front wall, and rear wall upright, an open top food container forms. Pulling the front and rear panels inwards opens two condiment cells. The front and rear panels have similar edge shapes and attain the same height from the bottom. The similarity between the front and the rear of the present invention allows consumers, or restaurant staff, to load the scoop from the front or the rear.

Claims

1. A food container formed from a single blank comprising:

a front wall;

a rear wall opposite said front wall;

a left side contiguous with said front wall and abutting said rear wall;

a right side opposite said left side and contiguous with said front wall, abutting said rear wall, and having the same elevation as said left side;

a bottom contiguous with said front wall and said rear wall and abutting said left side and said right side;

at least two cells within said container;

said front and rear walls and said at least two cells being generally the same height for stability;

a front panel hingedly connected to said front wall whereby said front panel folds upon said front wall generally towards the interior of said container, said front panel secures to said front wall leaving one edge open;

a rear panel hingedly connected to said rear wall whereby said rear panel folds upon said rear wall generally towards the interior of said container, said rear panel secures to said rear wall leaving one edge open;

the left side and said right side each having a contiguous flap, said flaps securing upon said rear wall;

said bottom having a longitudinal crease forming said bottom into an arcuate surface towards the interior of said container;

whereby said front wall, said right side, said rear wall, and said left side extend upwardly toward a top of said container and generally perpendicular from said bottom thereby containing food and said at least two cells;

said front wall and said rear wall each having a generally trapezoidal shape with a wide base forming a convex edge at the top of said food container and a narrow base forming a concave fold with said bottom, and said left side and said right side each having a generally oval shape with truncated ends providing a square edge denoting lower and upper edges of said left side and said right side;

said front panel and said rear panel each form at least one of said at least two cells to receive condiments, said cells having the same elevation; and

said flaps and said bottom provide rigidity for said food container.

2. The food container of claim 1 wherein said bottom is raised above a lowest edge of said left side and said right side, and the lower edges of said left and right sides being squared to provide support and stability when said food container is stood upon a flat surface.

3. The food container of claim 1 further comprising:

a recess along the top edge of said left side, said recess extending over one third the depth of said container and having a square edge.

4. The food container of claim 1 wherein said front wall and said rear wall each having one or more creases extending from lower corners of said corresponding front and rear walls inward toward a center of a top edge of said corresponding front and rear walls, said left side and said right side each having a centered crease, and said cells having one or more creases in said rear panel and said front panel extending from lower corners of said corresponding rear and front panels inward toward a center of a top end of said corresponding rear and front panels;

whereby, said front wall, said rear wall, said left side, and said right side expand outwards from said food container.

5. The food container of claim 1 wherein the left side and right side provide cutouts at their upper edges, provide greater clearance for entry into the container.

6. The food container of claim 1 wherein at least one of the front wall and rear wall, in addition to the upper edge of said one or more cells are contoured to add to their attractiveness.

7. The food container of claim 1 wherein there are two cells provided within said container.