Tri-fold egg carton for various size jumbo eggs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10472164-B2
Application number	US-201715470184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2017
Priority date	Mar 27, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

Tri-fold egg carton has a base and a cover each having a complementary matrix of egg receiving cells such that, when the cover is assembled on top of the base, the complementary cells encapsulate each egg in an individual cell pocket (see FIGS. 3 - 5 ). Each base cell and cover cell includes a central dome and first and second radially spaced apart circumferential hinges that surround the central dome, and lie radially inward of a lowermost standing ring, enabling the dome to move up and down above the plane of the standing ring (in the height direction of the closed carton) between multiple positions to accommodate jumbo eggs of varying dimensions (height and width) to hold them securely in their respective cell pocket. The base and cover further include full height cell posts with mating surfaces that engage in the assembled state. The carton further includes a lid which fits over the cover (of the assembled cover and base), in a secure and locked position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A molded article comprising a tri-fold plastic egg carton integrally formed from a sheet of molded plastic material, the egg carton comprising
a base, and a cover hingedly connected to one edge of the base for pivoting between open and closed positions, the base and cover each having a complimentary rectilinear matrix of cells that together form a rectilinear matrix of cell pockets for holding individual eggs when the cover is closed over the base;
a lid hingedly connected to another edge of the base for pivoting between open and closed positions, wherein when the cover and base are in the closed position the lid can be closed over the cover to form an assembled carton;

each cell pocket having an arcuate, outwardly bowed sidewall portion sized to hold any different size variations of a jumbo egg, of from 2.50 to 3.00 ounces per egg, in an oriented or a non-oriented direction in the base cell;
each cell of the base and cover having a bottom wall comprising:
a lowermost peripheral standing ring defining a base plane; and
a recessed wall portion disposed radially inwardly from the peripheral standing ring and defining a central recessed area above the base plane, the recessed wall portion including a central dome in a concave out position in a relaxed state, a first circumferential hinge disposed radially outwardly of and surrounding the central dome, and a second circumferential hinge disposed radially outwardly of and surrounding the first hinge, the first and second hinges as molded being in a contracted position in a relaxed state, wherein each of the first and second hinges are movable, expanding in a height direction transverse to the base plane, between their contracted position to one or more extended positions to move the central dome up and down in the central recessed area while remaining above the base plane while the central domes of the base cell and cover cell engage opposing ends of a jumbo egg of the different size variations and orientations.

2. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the carton has a 2×6 matrix of the cell pockets formed by a complementary 2×6 matrix of cells in each of the base and cover, and the carton is a molded solid sheet of clear polyester.

3. The egg carton of claim 2 , wherein the bottom wall has a thickness in a range of about 0.013 to about 0.022 inches.

4. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the arcuate, outwardly bowed sidewall portion is sized to receive a major cell diameter of a jumbo egg in a range of about 1.75 to about 2.06 inches, and the cell pocket is configured to hold a jumbo egg in a height range of 2.461 to 2.750 inches, between the central domes of the base cell and cover cell.

5. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein each cell has a sidewall and the sidewalls of two adjacent cells form a cell divider which prevents contact between eggs in the adjacent cells.

6. The egg carton of claim 1 , the non-hinged peripheral edges of the lid, cover and base each having a lip edge, the lip edges of the cover and base mating when the cover is closed over the base, and the lip edge of the lid being disposed over the mating lip edges of the cover and base when the lid is closed over the cover.

7. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the assembled carton has a length of from about 11.62 to about 12.00 inches, a width of from about 3.95 to about 4.00 inches and a height of from about 2.62 to about 3.125 inches.

8. A stack comprising a plurality of assembled egg cartons of claim 7 arranged in a stack.

9. The stack of claim 8 , further comprising a container holding the stack.

10. The stack of claim 9 , wherein the container holds a full case or half case of the egg cartons.

11. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the assembled carton is filled with jumbo eggs of the different size variations and orientations.

12. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the plastic is one or more of polyester, polyethylene, polylatic acid, and polystyrene, including polymers, copolymers, mixtures and blends thereof.

13. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the carton comprises a molded solid sheet of clear polyester.

14. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the carton comprises a molded foamed sheet of polystyrene.

15. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the lid has four sidewalls and four corners connecting the sidewalls and has structural reinforcements provided in each sidewall and corner.

16. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the carton has a 2×6 matrix of cell pockets formed by a complementary 2×6 matrix of cells in each of the base and cover.

17. A method of assembling the egg carton of claim 1 , including filling each base cell with the jumbo eggs, closing the cover over the base and the lid over the assembled cover and base, wherein the hinges and domes of the base and cover cells accommodate the different size variations and orientations of the jumbo eggs in the cell pockets.

18. A molded article comprising a tri-fold plastic egg carton integrally formed from a sheet of molded plastic material, the egg carton comprising:
a base and a cover hingedly connected to one edge of the base for pivoting between open and closed positions, the base and the cover having respective peripheral edges that mate with each other in the closed position, and each of the base and the cover having a complimentary 2×6 matrix of cells that, when the cover is closed over the base, the cells of the cover and base are aligned and form a 2×6 matrix of cell pockets for holding individual eggs,
each cell having a bottom wall and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom wall to form a corresponding one of the cells,
a cell post formed at an intersection of four adjacent cells as an extension of the sidewalls of the four adjacent cells and having a central mating surface, wherein when the cover is in the closed position over the base the central mating surfaces of the cell posts of the base and cover mate with one another,
a lid hingedly connected to another edge of the base for pivoting between open and closed positions, wherein when the cover and base are in the closed position the lid can be closed over the cover to form an assembled carton;
each cell pocket having an arcuate, outwardly bowed sidewall portion sized to hold any different size variations of a jumbo egg, of from 2.50 to 3.00 ounces per egg, in an oriented or a non-oriented direction in the base cell;
the bottom wall of each base cell and cover cell comprising:
a lowermost peripheral standing ring defining a base plane; and
a recessed wall portion disposed radially inwardly from the peripheral standing ring and defining a central recessed area above the base plane, the recessed wall portion including a central dome in a concave out position in a relaxed state, a first circumferential hinge disposed radially outwardly of and surrounding the central dome, and a second circumferential hinge disposed radially outwardly of and surrounding the first hinge, the first and second hinges as molded being in a contracted position in a relaxed state, wherein each of the first and second hinges are movable, expanding in a height direction transverse to the base plane, between their contracted position to one or more extended positions to move the central dome up and down in the central recessed area while remaining above the base plane while the central domes of the base cell and cover cell engage opposing ends of a jumbo egg of the different size variations and orientations.

19. The egg carton of claim 18 , wherein the carton is a molded solid sheet

Assignees

• Tekni Plex Inc

Inventors

• Bergeron Mark A
• Kuruvilla Babu
• Lichtle Roger P

Classifications

• B65D85/32 Primary

  for eggs · CPC title

• B65D81/113

  of a shape specially adapted to accommodate contents {(B65D81/053 takes precedence)} · CPC title