Food tray

• US 9,211,970 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sabert Corporation
• Original Assignee: LBP Manufacturing LLC (Sabert Corporation)
• Inventors: Hubbard, James A. Jr., Cook, Matthew R., Fu, Thomas, Wolf, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): ELKINS, GARY E
• Application Number:
  US13/897,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20130341386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 229/128, 229/148, 229/149, 229/150, 229/152, 229/153, 229/154, 229/186, 229/223, 229/114, 229/157, 229/162.1, 229/162.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 5/2057 Inter-engaging self-locking flaps B65D5/4254 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/24 with adjacent sides interconnected by gusset folds
• 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 5/6644 the lid-halves being held in closed position by local tabs or projections at the upper edge of opposite walls of the container body, e.g. by entering within slots provided in the lid-halves

Abstract

A food tray formed of a unitary sheet of material includes a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, first sidewall, and a second sidewall that define an opening through which an item is placed in the food tray. First and second flaps extend from respective top edges of the first and second sidewalls and are configured to be folded toward an interior of the food tray. The first and second flaps each define slots. First and second lid members extend from respective top edges of the front wall and the rear wall and are configured to be folded toward the interior of the food tray. The first and second lid members define a pair of tabs on respective side edges that are configured to engage the slots defined by the first and second flaps.

Claims

1. A food tray formed of a unitary sheet of material comprising:

a front wall with a distal end and a proximal end, and a rear wall with a distal end and a proximal end;

a first sidewall that extends between the distal end of the front wall and the distal end of the rear wall, and a second sidewall that extends between the proximal end of the front wall and the proximal end of the rear wall, wherein the front wall, rear wall, first sidewall, and second sidewall define an opening through which an item is placed in the food tray;

a bottom wall extending between the front wall, rear wall, first sidewall, and second sidewall;

first and second flaps that extend from respective top edges of the first and second sidewalls, the first and second flaps configured to be folded toward an interior of the food tray, wherein each of the first and second flaps defines a slot;

a lid member that extends from a top edge of the rear wall, wherein the lid member is configured to be folded toward the interior of the food tray, wherein the lid member defines a pair of tabs on respective side edges of the lid member that are configured to engage the slots defined by the first and second flaps when the lid member is folded over the opening to thereby secure the lid member to the first and second flaps; and

a third flap that extends from an edge of the lid member that is opposite the top edge of the rear wall, wherein the third flap is configured to be folded about the lid member edge so that when the lid member is secured to the first and second flaps, the third flap is disposed in the interior of the food tray, wherein the edge from which the third flap extends defines a slot in a middle region that is configured to receive a tab that extends from a top edge of the front wall to secure the lid member to the front wall,

wherein the lid member and rear wall define an opening, and wherein a window of clear material spans the opening to facilitate viewing of an item within the food tray through the both the lid member and the rear wall, the opening has a first edge in the lid member adjacent and extending parallel to the lid member edge from which the third flap extends and in which the slot is formed, a second edge in the rear wall extending parallel to the first edge, and third and fourth edges extending between opposite respective ends of the first and second edges;

the first and second edges of the opening being spaced from the top edge of the rear wall such that a portion of the opening extending between the first edge, the third edge, the fourth edge, and the top edge of the rear wall is larger than a portion of the opening extending between the second edge, the third edge, the fourth edge, and the top edge of the rear wall.

2. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein the front wall, rear wall, first sidewall, and second sidewall are tapered to enable the insertion of a second food tray into the opening.

3. The food tray according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of gussets formed on respective corners of the food tray.

4. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein the unitary sheet comprises a material from the group consisting of:

coated or uncoated corrugated paper, paperboard, chipboard, and plastics.

5. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein the unitary sheet of material has a generally square shape.

6. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein the unitary sheet of material has a generally rectangular shape.

7. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein the lid member includes opposite pairs of spaced-apart slits in the respective side edges thereof that form opposite sides of the tabs.

8. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein the tabs each have an outward edge recessed from the corresponding side edge of the lid member.

9. A food tray formed of a unitary sheet of material comprising:

a front wall with a distal end and a proximal end, and a rear wall with a distal end and a proximal end;

a first sidewall that extends between the distal end of the front wall and the distal end of the rear wall, and a second sidewall that extends between the proximal end of the front wall and the proximal end of the rear wall, wherein the front wall, rear wall, first sidewall, and second sidewall define an opening through which an item is placed in the food tray;

a bottom wall extending between the front wall, rear wall, first sidewall, and second sidewall;

first and second flaps that extend from respective top edges of the first and second sidewalls, the first and second flaps configured to be folded toward an interior of the food tray;

a lid member that extends from a top edge of the rear wall, wherein the lid member is configured to be folded toward the interior of the food tray;

a third flap that extends from an edge of the lid member that is opposite the top edge of the rear wall, wherein the third flap includes a tear strip that extends along a length of the third flap that is parallel to the edge, wherein the third flap is configured to be folded about the edge of the lid member that is opposite the top edge of the rear wall when the lid member is folded toward the interior of the food tray, and secured to an outside surface of the front wall via an adhesive strip, wherein the tear strip is configured to facilitate tearing of the third flap to facilitate opening of the lid member,

wherein the lid member and rear wall define an opening, and wherein a clear material spans the opening to facilitate viewing of an item within the food tray through the both the lid member and the rear wall;

first and second slots formed between the lid member and the third flap extending inward from respective outer side edges thereof; and

lid securement portions at a side edge of each of the first and second flaps configured to be inserted within the respective first and second slots when the lid member is closed to secure the lid member in a closed configuration after removal of the tear strip.

10. The food tray according to claim 9, wherein the adhesive strip is disposed on the third flap.

11. The food tray according to claim 9, wherein the adhesive strip is disposed on the front wall.

12. The food tray according to claim 9, wherein the front wall, rear wall, first sidewall, and second sidewall are tapered to enable the insertion of a second food tray into the opening for stacking or nesting.

13. The food tray according to claim 9, further comprising a plurality of gussets formed on respective corners of the food tray.

14. The food tray according to claim 9, wherein the unitary sheet comprises a material from the group consisting of:

coated or uncoated corrugated paper, paperboard, chipboard, and plastics.

15. The food tray according to claim 9, wherein the lid securement portions comprise notched portions configured to fit within the first and second slots for securing the lid member in the closed configuration.

16. The food tray according to claim 9, wherein the lid securement portions are located on the side edges of the respective first and second flaps nearest to the front wall.