Closure for clamshell package

• US 8,146,743 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Burrows Paper Corporation
• Original Assignee: Burrows Paper Corporation
• Inventors: Stonehouse, Donald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELKINS, GARY E
• Application Number:
  US12/420,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20100258615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 229/114, 229/120.15, 229/125.29, 229/146, 229/148, 229/902, 229/906
• US Class Current: 206/459.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4295 Ventilating arrangements, e.g. openings, space elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/667 Lids in the form of an inverted tray
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/902 Box for prepared or processed food

Abstract

A clamshell style paper board container including a tab-and-slot closure to openably secured the top and bottom halves of the clamshell in a closed position. Unlike conventional designs where the tabs in the bottom half extend from the side walls toward the front of the container, the tabs in the bottom half extend from the front wall toward the sides of the container. Also, a punch in device that can be used to provide a steam hole and/or an indicator of package contents where the punch in device include four generally parallel fold lines extending between two generally parallel perforations. When the punch-in device is punched in by a user, one of the fold lines is moved from: (i) a folded state at a location at a corner between two walls of the container to; (ii) an unfolded state at a location displaced from the corned toward the interior of the container.

Claims

1. A cardboard package comprising:

a first exterior wall;

a second exterior wall located to meet the first exterior wall at a first corner; and

a punch-in device located in the vicinity of the first corner, the punch-in device comprising;

a first perforation extending across the first corner and at an angle to the first corner,

a second perforation extending across the first corner and at an angle to the first corner,

a first fold line generally parallel to the first corner and extending at least from the first perforation to the second perforation,

a second fold line generally parallel to the first corner and extending at least from the first perforation to the second perforation,

a third fold line generally parallel to the first corner and extending at least from the first perforation to the second perforation, and

a fourth fold line generally parallel to the first corner and extending at least from the first perforation to the second perforation;

wherein;

the cardboard package is moveable between an open position and a closed position;

when the cardboard package is in the closed position the first exterior wall is exposed to the outside at least in the vicinity of the first corner; and

when the cardboard package is in the closed position the second exterior wall is exposed to the outside at least in the vicinity of the first corner.