Snack food container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10611512-B2
Application number	US-201614988386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Jul 29, 2014
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A snack food container having a square base, side walls substantially consisting of four right triangular panels and two isosceles triangular panels, and a flat, two dimensional end seal. The container is opened by use of a tear feature just below the end seal. The container is of paperboard construction and is resealable by virtue of a score line on each side of the container located below the end seal in combination with a horizontal cut through the container located below one score line. After opening, the container can be resealed by folding the container over the score lines towards the horizontal cut. An edge of the container is then secured in the horizontal cut.

First claim

We claim:

1. A snack container having a base, side walls, and a top edge, said top edge having a left side and a right side, wherein said container comprising:
a substantially square base, said base having left, right, front, and back corners, wherein the final container is rigid;
a first fold starting at the left corner of said base and terminating at the left side of the top edge of the container;
a second fold starting at the right corner of said base and terminating at the right side of the top edge of the container;
a first “V” shaped crease starting at the front corner of said base and terminating at the first and second folds at points in the same horizontal plane below the top edge of the container;
a second “V” shaped crease starting at the back corner of said base and terminating at the first and second folds at points in the same horizontal plane as the top of the first “V” shaped crease;
a flat portion defined by the top edge of the container and extending to a horizontal tear feature located above the termination points of the “V” shaped creases, wherein below the termination points of the top of the “V” shaped creases the folds and “V” shaped creases define four right-triangle shaped side walls and two isosceles triangle shaped side walls, wherein further above the termination points of the top of the “V” shaped creases the container consists of two side walls which are in planar contact with each other above the horizontal tear feature, thus forming a top seal and forming a front surface and a back surface, both of said surfaces located above the termination points of the “V” shaped creases;
a front score line along the front surface running from the first fold to the second fold;
a back score line along the back surface running from the first fold to the second fold, wherein the intersectional positions of the front score line at the first fold and the second fold corresponds to the intersectional positions of the back score line at the first fold and the second fold, wherein further said vertical location of the intersectional position of each score line at the first fold is different from the vertical location of the intersectional position of each score line at the second fold; and
a cut below said front score line and within the first “V” shaped crease.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the intersectional position of the score lines along one of the first or second folds is at the intersection of the horizontal tear feature and the first or second fold.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the intersectional position of the score lines along one of the first or second folds is at the intersection of a termination point of the “V” shaped creases and the first or second fold.

4. The container of claim 1 , wherein the cut below said front score line is a horizontal cut.

5. The container of claim 1 , wherein said container comprises paperboard and a separate interior film.

6. The container of claim 5 , wherein said interior film is sealed at the top seal upon construction, thereby enclosing a product, and opened when the top seal is removed from the container at the horizontal tear feature.

7. The container of claim 1 , wherein said square base is less than 3 inches by 3 inches.

8. The container of claim 7 , wherein said square base is about 2 inches by 2 inches.

9. The container of claim 1 , wherein the first or second folds are less than 10 inches long each and greater than 6 inches long each.

10. The container of claim 9 , wherein the first or second folds are less than 9 inches long each and greater than 7 inches long each.

11. The container of claim 1 , wherein the vertical distance from the top edge to the termination points of the top of the “V” shaped creases is between 1.5 inch and 4.0 inches.

12. A snack container having a base, side walls, and a top edge, said top edge having a left side and a right side, wherein said container comprising:
a substantially square base, said base having left, right, front, and back corners, wherein the final container is rigid;
a first fold starting at the left corner of said base and terminating at the left side of the top edge of the container;
a second fold starting at the right corner of said base and terminating at the right side of the top edge of the container;
a first “V” shaped crease starting at the front corner of said base and terminating at the first and second folds at points in the same horizontal plane below the top edge of the container;
a second “V” shaped crease starting at the back corner of said base and terminating at the first and second folds at points in the same horizontal plane as the top of the first “V” shaped crease;
a flat portion defined by the top edge of the container and extending to a horizontal tear feature located above the termination points of the “V” shaped creases, wherein below the termination points of the top of the “V” shaped creases the folds and “V” shaped creases define four right-triangle shaped side walls and two isosceles triangle shaped side walls, wherein further above the termination points of the top of the “V” shaped creases the container consists of two side walls which are in planar contact with each other above the horizontal tear feature, thus forming a top seal and forming a front surface and a back surface, both of said surfaces above the termination points of the “V” shaped creases;
a front score line along the front surface starting from the first fold or the second fold at a point below the horizontal tear feature and ending at the horizontal tear feature;
a back score line along the back surface starting from the first fold or the second fold at a point below the horizontal tear feature and ending at the horizontal tear feature, wherein the intersectional position of the front score line at the first fold or the second fold corresponds to the intersectional position of the back score line at the first fold or the second fold, wherein further the intersectional position of each score line at the horizontal tear feature is the same; and
a cut below said front score line and within the first “V” shaped crease.

13. The container of claim 12 , wherein the intersectional position of the score lines along one of the first or second folds is the intersection of the horizontal tear feature and the first or second fold.

14. The container of claim 12 , wherein the intersectional position of the score lines along one of the first or second folds is at the intersection of a termination point of the “V” shaped creases and the first or second fold.

15. The container of claim 12 , wherein the cut below said front score line is a horizontal cut.

16. The container of claim 12 , wherein said container comprises paperboard and a separate interior film.

17. The container of claim 16 , wherein said interior film is sealed at the top seal upon construction, thereby enclosing a product, and opened when the top seal is removed from the container at the horizontal tear feature.

18. The container of claim 12 , wherein said square base is less than 3 inches by 3 inches.

19. The container of claim 18 , wherein said square base is about 2 inches by 2 inches.

20. The container of claim 12 , wherein the first and second folds are less than 10 inches long each and greater than 6 inches long each.

21. The container of claim 20 , wherein the first and second folds are less than 9 inches long each and greater than 7 inches long each.

22. The container of claim 12 , wherein

Assignees

• Frito Lay North America Inc

Inventors

• Bayer Johannes
• Dierl Martin Bernhard
• Edwards Eduard
• Gustafsson Niklas
• Lestage David
• Nair Sunitha
• Pham Bich-Van
• Tyner Stephen
• Windley Patrick Ryan

Classifications

• B65D5/62

  External coverings or coatings {(B65D5/4245, B65D5/4262 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D5/4208

  Means facilitating suspending, lifting, handling, or the like of containers (handles B65D5/46) · CPC title

• B65D5/068 Primary

  with supplemental means facilitating the opening, e.g. tear lines, tear tabs · CPC title

• B65D77/12

  by collapsing and flattening the mouth portion of the container and securing without folding, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, heat-sealing, welding or applying separate securing members · CPC title

• B65D5/4266

  Folding lines, score lines, crease lines · CPC title