Dual compartment food tray

• US 9,309,023 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sabert Corporation
• Original Assignee: LBP Manufacturing LLC (Sabert Corporation)
• Inventors: Hubbard, James A. Jr., Fultz, Kevin Jay, Smyk, Jonathan Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): ELKINS, GARY E
• Application Number:
  US14/529,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20150129650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 229/120.04, 229/127, 229/143, 229/162.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2076 Cooperating flaps glued together
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/241 and the gussets folds connected to the inside of the container body B65D5/247 and B65D5/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4204 Inspection openings or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/48016 formed by folding extensions hinged to the upper or lower edges of a tubular body B65D5/48008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/48018 formed by folding extensions of side panels of a "cross-like" body blank B65D5/4801 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6605 the lid being formed by two mating halves joined to opposite edges of the container body

Abstract

A food tray including front and rear sidewalls each having left and right side edges. A left sidewall extends between respective left edges of the front and rear sidewalls. A right sidewall extends between respective right edges of the front and rear sidewall. A bottom panel extends between bottom edges of the front, rear, left and right sidewalls. The sidewalls define a container space for a food item. A left lid extends from a top edge of the left sidewall. A right lid extends from a top edge of the right sidewall. The left and right lids are configured to fold and cover the container space. The left lid includes a flap that extends from an edge of the left lid that is opposite the top edge of the left sidewall. The flap is configured to be folded into the container space to divide the container space into two compartments.

Claims

1. A food tray comprising:

a front sidewall and a rear sidewall, each having a left and a right side edge;

a left sidewall that extends between respective left edges of the front and rear sidewalls, and a right side wall that extends between respective right edges of the front and rear sidewalls;

a bottom panel extending between a bottom edge of the front, rear, left, and right sidewalls, wherein the front, rear, left, and right sidewalls, and the bottom panel define a container space for placement of a food item; and

a left lid having a distal edge, the left lid extending from a top edge of the left sidewall, and a right lid that extends from a top edge of the right sidewall, wherein the left lid and right lid are configured to fold over and cover the container space, wherein the left lid includes a dividing flap that extends from the distal edge of the left lid that is opposite the top edge of the left sidewall, and the dividing flap is configured to extend into the container space when the left lid is folded over and covering the container space, to divide the container space into a first compartment and a second compartment;

wherein the right lid has a distal edge that overlaps the distal edge of the left lid when folded over and covering the container space;

wherein the left lid and the right lid have opposed side edges that overlap a portion of a top edge of the front sidewall and the rear sidewall when the left lid and the right lid are folded over and covering the container space;

wherein each of the left and right lids includes a first tab and a second tab that extend laterally at the distal edge on the opposite sides, and each of the front and back sidewalls has a top edge and further includes an upper tab extending upward from the top edge, and a slot proximate the upper tab for receiving both the first and second tabs of each of the left and right lids, to thereby maintain the left lid and right lid in a closed configuration.

2. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein the distal edge of the left lid from which the dividing flap extends is substantially centered between the right and left sidewalls when the left lid is in the closed configuration.

3. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein a distance that a distal edge of the dividing flap extends from the distal edge of the left lid, substantially matches a distance between an inside surface of the left lid and the bottom panel when the left lid is in a closed configuration.

4. The food tray according to claim 3, wherein a lateral distance between the side edges of the dividing flap substantially matches a distance between the front sidewall and rear sidewall.

5. The food tray according to claim 4, wherein the opposed side edges of the dividing flap are tapered to match a draft angle of the respective front sidewall and the rear sidewall.

6. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein each of the left and right sidewalls further comprises a pair of assembly flaps that respectively extend from a front edge and a back edge of each of the left sidewall and the right sidewall, wherein the assembly flaps are configured to fold against an inside surface of the respective front sidewall and back sidewall.

7. The food tray according to claim 6, further comprising an adhesive between each of the assembly flaps, and a corresponding inside surface of the front sidewall and the back sidewall, to secure the assembly flaps to the inside surfaces.

8. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein each of the front and back sidewalls further comprises a pair of assembly flaps that respectively extend from a left edge and a right edge of each of the front sidewalls and the back sidewall, wherein the assembly flaps are configured to fold against an inside surface of the respective left sidewall and right sidewall.

9. The food tray according to claim 1, further comprising a see-through film material positioned in an opening formed in at least one of the left lid and the right lid.

10. The food tray according to claim 9, wherein the opening extends into at least one of the left sidewall and the right sidewall.

11. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein the food tray is formed from a unitary sheet of material that comprises a material selected from the group of materials consisting of F fluted corrugated paper, paperboard, chipboard, and plastic.

12. The food tray according to claim 11, wherein the unitary sheet is coated with a material that rendered the sheet impervious to liquids.

13. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein the left, right, front, and rear sidewalls are tapered to facilitate nesting of a plurality of food trays.

14. The food tray according to claim 11, wherein the unitary sheet of material has a generally rectangular shape.

15. The food tray according to claim 1, further including a gusset that extends along a fold line between each of the left and right sidewalls, and each of the adjacent front and back sidewalls, wherein each gusset is folded along an internal fold line to form a gusset fold, and each gusset fold is configured to fold against either an inside surface or an outside surface of either the front or back sidewall, or of the adjacent left or right sidewall.

16. The food tray according to claim 15, further comprising an adhesive between each of the gusset flaps, and a corresponding inside surface of the front sidewall and the back sidewall, to secure the gusset flaps to the inside surfaces.

17. The food tray according to claim 1 wherein the top edge of at least one of the front sidewall and the rear sidewall has at least one relief portion spaced below other portions of the top edge, wherein the relief portion forms a vent opening in one of the front sidewall and the rear sidewall when the at least one of the left lid and the right lid are folded over and covering the container space such that a portion of at least one of the left and right lids above the relief portion forms an upper extent of the vent opening.

18. A food tray comprising:

a front sidewall and a rear sidewall, each having a left and a right side edge;

a left sidewall that extends between respective left edges of the front and rear sidewalls, and a right side wall that extends between respective right edges of the front and rear sidewalls;

a bottom panel extending between a bottom edge of the front, rear, left, and right sidewalls, wherein the front, rear, left, and right sidewalls, and the bottom panel define a container space for placement of a food item; and

a left lid having a distal edge, the left lid extending from a top edge of the left sidewall, and a right lid that extends from a top edge of the right sidewall, wherein the left lid and right lid are configured to fold over and cover the container space, wherein the left lid includes a dividing flap that extends from the distal edge of the left lid that is opposite the top edge of the left sidewall, and the dividing flap is configured to extend into the container space when the left lid is folded over and covering the container space, to divide the container space into a first compartment and a second compartment;

wherein the right lid has a distal edge that overlaps the distal edge of the left lid when folded over and covering the container space;

wherein the left lid and the right lid have opposed side edges that overlap a portion of a top edge of the front sidewall and the rear sidewall when the left lid and the right lid are folded over and covering the container space; and

wherein the left lid and the right lid have opposed side edges that taper outwardly from the proximal edge toward the distal edge.

19. A food tray comprising:

a front sidewall and a rear sidewall, each having top, left, and right side edges;

a left sidewall that extends between respective left edges of the front and rear sidewalls, and a right side wall that extends between respective right edges of the front and rear sidewall;

a bottom panel extending between a bottom edge of the front, rear, left and right sidewalls, wherein the front, rear, left, and right sidewalls, and the bottom panel define a container space for placement of a food item; and

a left lid extending from a top edge of the left sidewall having a distal edge opposite from the top edge of the left sidewall and a pair of side edges extending therebetween;

a right lid extending from a top edge of the right sidewall having a distal edge opposite from the top edge of the right sidewall and a pair of side edges extending therebetween, wherein the left lid and right lid are configured to fold over and cover the container space

a dividing flap of one of the left and right lids that extends from the distal edge thereof to extend into the container space when the one lid is folded over and covering the container space for dividing the container space into a first compartment and a second compartment;

a slot formed in each of the front and rear sidewalls spaced from the respective top edge thereof;

first and second tabs extending from the respective side edges of at least one of the left and right lids sized and configured to be received in the respective slots of the front and rear sidewalls for maintaining the at least one lid in a closed orientation.

20. The food tray of claim 19, wherein both of the left and right lids include the first and second tabs, and the first and second tabs of the lid having the dividing flap each have a length in the direction of the slot no longer than half of a length of the slot in which the respective tab is received.

21. The food tray of claim 19, wherein both of the left and right lids include the first and second tabs and the lid without the dividing flap is sized and configured to lay over a portion of the other lid when both lids are in the closed orientation with the tabs received in the respective slots.

22. The food tray of claim 19, wherein the side edges of the lids include portions that extend over and beyond the top edges of the respective front and rear walls such that portions of the top edges provide support to the lids when the lids are in the closed orientation.

23. The food tray of claim 22, wherein the front and rear walls include upwardly extending tab portions that extend above the slots in the front and rear walls.

24. The food tray of claim 23, wherein both of the left and right lids include the first and second tabs, and the side edges of the lids include notch portions adjacent the first and second tabs for engaging with inner surfaces of the upwardly extending tab portions such that portions of the lids are positioned therebetween when in the closed orientation to inhibit shifting of the lids in a front-to-rear direction.