Blank and methods of constructing a food holder from the blank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9320373-B2
Application number	US-201414339522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2014
Priority date	Mar 27, 2006
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A food holder for retaining a food product is provided. The food holder is formed from a continuous blank of the sheet material. The food holder includes a top tray including a center panel, a side panel, and an end panel coupled together along a plurality of fold lines. The food holder further includes a bottom tray including a center panel, a side panel, and an end panel coupled together along a plurality of fold lines. The bottom tray is rotatably coupled to the top tray along a hinge line. The top tray is rotatable relative to the bottom tray from an open position to a closed position. The food holder further includes a moveable section including a portion of at lest one of the top tray side panel and the bottom tray side panel. The moveable section facilitates movement of the top tray relative to the bottom tray for retaining the food product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A food holder for retaining a food product, the food holder is formed from a continuous blank of sheet material, the food holder comprising:
a top tray including a center panel, a side panel, and an end panel coupled together along a plurality of fold lines;
a bottom tray including a center panel, a side panel, and an end panel coupled together along a plurality of fold lines, the bottom tray rotatably coupled to the top tray along a hinge line, the top tray rotatable relative to the bottom tray from an open position to a closed position; and
a moveable section including a portion of at least one of the top tray side panel and the bottom tray side panel, the moveable section facilitates movement of the top tray relative to the bottom tray for retaining the food product, and the moveable section includes three adjacent triangular panels coupled together along a plurality of fold lines, the three adjacent triangular panels include a first triangular panel defined within a portion of the top tray side panel, a second triangular panel defined within a portion of the bottom tray side panel, and a third triangular panel defined within a portion of the top tray side panel, the second and third triangular panels are separated by the hinge line, the first and third triangular panels are separated by a fold line that extends away from the hinge line.

2. The food holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein the moveable section further comprises a first glue flap extending from the top tray side panel along a fold line and configured to couple to a portion of the top tray end panel, and a second glue flap extending from the bottom tray side panel along a fold line and configured to couple to a portion of the bottom tray end panel.

3. The food holder in accordance with claim 2 wherein the top tray further comprises a locking tab formed within a portion of the top tray end panel and the bottom tray further comprises a hook portion formed within a portion of the second glue flap, the locking tab is configured to engage the hook portion such that the top tray is removably coupled to the bottom tray in the closed position.

4. The food holder in accordance with claim 2 wherein the top tray further comprises a locking tab formed within a portion of the top tray end panel and the bottom tray further comprises a cutout portion formed within a portion of the second glue flap, the locking tab is configured to engage the cutout portion such that the top tray is to removably coupled to the bottom tray in the closed position.

5. The food holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein the top tray and the bottom tray in the closed position form a cavity wherein the cavity is sized to receive the food product.

6. The food holder in accordance with claim 5 wherein the moveable section is moveable from a first configuration to a second configuration when the top tray and the bottom tray are moved towards one another, wherein the hinge line moves away from the cavity and the side panels rotate about the hinge line when the moveable section moves from the first configuration to the second configuration.

7. The food holder in accordance with claim 6 wherein each of the three adjacent triangular panels includes an interior surface and an exterior surface, the moveable section moves from the first configuration to the second configuration by: moving the top tray and the bottom tray toward each other causing the third triangular panel to rotate inwardly towards the cavity such that the exterior surface of the third triangular panel is in a face-to-face relationship with the exterior surface of the first triangular panel when the moveable section is in the second configuration, and the interior surface of the third triangular panel is in a face-to-face relationship with the interior surface of the second triangular panel when the moveable section is in the second configuration, the moveable section conforms to the food product and facilitates the discharge of the food product from the food holder.

8. The food holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein the food holder includes a pair of tear lines extending across a portion of the top tray center panel and the bottom tray center panel such that the tear lines are configured to facilitate gaining access to the food product.

9. The food holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein the top tray side panel is coupled to the top tray center panel along a top tray perforated tear line and the bottom tray side panel is coupled to the bottom tray center panel along a bottom tray perforated tear line such that the top tray side panel and the bottom tray side panel are configured to separate from the top tray center panel and the bottom tray center panel.

10. The food holder in accordance with claim 1 in combination with a tray carton formed from a second continuous blank of sheet material, wherein the tray carton is configured to receive at least one of the top tray and the bottom tray.

11. A combination in accordance with claim 10 wherein the tray carton is configured to receive at least one of the top tray and the bottom tray such that the at least one of the top tray and the bottom tray is positioned adjacent to the tray carton.

12. The combination in accordance with claim 10 wherein the tray carton is a clamshell container having a top portion and a bottom portion extending from the top portion along a second hinge line, the top portion is configured to receive the top tray wherein the top tray is positioned adjacent the top portion, the bottom portion is configured to receive the bottom tray wherein the bottom tray is positioned adjacent the bottom portion, and the second hinge line is aligned with the hinge line.

13. The combination in accordance with claim 12 wherein the food holder assembly is rotated between an open configuration and a closed configuration such that the top portion is rotated towards the bottom portion along the second hinge line and the top tray is simultaneously rotated towards the bottom tray along the hinge line.

14. The food holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fold line is an oblique fold line that extends obliquely relative to the hinge line, and the oblique fold line extends toward an intermediate portion of the hinge line.

15. The food holder in accordance with claim 14 wherein the hinge line has opposite ends, and the intermediate portion of the hinge line is positioned between, and distant from each of, the opposite ends of the hinge line.

16. The food holder in accordance with claim 15 wherein the oblique fold line is a first oblique fold line and the moveable section further comprises a first glue flap extending from the top tray side panel along a second oblique fold line and configured to couple to a portion of the top tray end panel.

17. The food holder in accordance with claim 16 wherein the moveable section further comprises a second glue flap extending from the bottom tray side panel along a third oblique fold line and configured to couple to a portion of the bottom tray end panel.

18. The food holder in accordance with claim 17 wherein each of the second and third oblique fold lines extends obliquely relative to the hinge line.

19. A blank for forming a food holder for retaining a food product, the blank comprising:
a first portion for forming a top tray of the food holder, the first portion including a center panel, a side panel, and an end panel coupled together along a plurality of fold lines;
a second portion for forming a bottom tray of the food holder, the second

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc
• Havi Global Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Burke Bradley John
• Mortenson Rachel K

Classifications

• B31B50/62

  by adhesives · CPC title

• B65D5/667

  Lids in the form of an inverted tray · CPC title

• A47G19/03 Primary

  for using only once, e.g. made of paper · CPC title

• B31B50/26

  Folding sheets, blanks or webs · CPC title

• B65D85/36

  for bakery products, e.g. biscuits · CPC title