U.S. patent application number 11/680085 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-30 for pizza carton with webbed corners.
Invention is credited to Steven Manuel Oliveira.
Application Number | 20070199981 11/680085 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38332475 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070199981 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Oliveira; Steven Manuel |
August 30, 2007 |
Pizza Carton with Webbed Corners
Abstract
A carton with a generally open top and bottom end includes front
and back panels foldably connected by side panels. The side panels
have corner panels adapted for forming webbed corners of the carton
for holding a food product in the carton.
Inventors: |
Oliveira; Steven Manuel;
(Nashua, NH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOMBLE CARLYLE SANDRIDGE & RICE, PLLC
ATTN: PATENT DOCKETING 32ND FLOOR, P.O. BOX 7037
ATLANTA
GA
30357-0037
US
|
Family ID: |
38332475 |
Appl. No.: |
11/680085 |
Filed: |
February 28, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60777295 |
Feb 28, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
229/108 ;
229/109; 229/906 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/5007 20130101;
B65D 75/14 20130101; B65D 85/36 20130101; B65D 2585/366
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/108 ;
229/109; 229/906 |
International
Class: |
B65D 5/00 20060101
B65D005/00 |
Claims
1. A carton for holding a food product, the carton comprising: a
plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an
interior of the carton, wherein the plurality of panels comprises a
front panel, a back panel, at least one side panel, at least one
front connecting panel foldably connected to the front panel, and
at least one back connecting panel foldably connected to the back
panel; with the side panel having a corner panel foldably connected
to the front and back connecting panels, wherein the front and back
connecting panels and the corner panel cooperate to at least
partially form a webbed corner of the carton.
2. The carton of claim 1 wherein the front connecting panel is in
generally face-to-face relation with the front panel and the back
connecting panel is in generally face-to-face relation with the
back panel.
3. The carton of claim 1 wherein the side panel has an intermediate
portion, the corner panel is an upper corner panel, and the side
panel further comprises a lower corner panel foldably attached the
intermediate portion.
4. The carton of claim 3 wherein the side panel is a first side
panel and the carton further comprises a second side panel having
an intermediate portion, an upper corner panel foldably attached to
the intermediate portion of the second side panel, and a lower
corner panel foldably attached to the intermediate portion of the
second side panel.
5. The carton of claim 4 wherein the carton comprises four front
connecting panels and four back connecting panels.
6. The carton of claim 5 wherein each front and back connecting
panel is respectively foldably connected to one of the front panel
and the back panel at an oblique fold line.
7. The carton of claim 6 wherein each of the front and back
connecting panels is respectively foldably connected to one of the
upper corner panels and lower corner panels at a lateral fold
line.
8. The carton of claim 5 wherein the carton comprises four webbed
corners and each of the upper and lower corner panels respectively
cooperates with an adjacent front connecting panel and an adjacent
back connecting panel to form one of the webbed corners.
9. The carton of claim 1 wherein each of the front and back
connecting panels is generally triangular.
10. The carton of claim 1 wherein the carton has an open top
end.
11. The carton of claim 1 wherein the carton has an open bottom
end.
12. The carton of claim 1 in combination with a food product,
wherein the food product is positioned in the interior of the
carton.
13. A blank for forming a carton for holding a food product, the
blank comprising: a plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a
back panel, at least one side panel, at least one front connecting
panel foldably connected to the front panel, and at least one back
connecting panel foldably connected to the back panel; wherein the
side panel has a corner panel foldably connected to the front and
the back connecting panels.
14. The blank of claim 13 wherein the front and back connecting
panels and corner panel are for cooperating to at least partially
form a webbed corner when the carton is formed from the blank.
15. The blank of claim 13 wherein the side panel has an
intermediate portion, the corner panel is an upper corner panel,
and the side panel further comprises a lower corner panel foldably
attached the intermediate portion.
16. The blank of 15 wherein the side panel is a first side panel
and the carton further comprises a second side panel having an
intermediate portion, an upper corner panel foldably attached to
the intermediate portion of the second side panel, and a lower
corner panel foldably attached to the intermediate portion of the
second side panel.
17. The blank of claim 16 wherein the blank comprises four front
connecting panels and four back connecting panels.
18. The blank of claim 17 wherein each front and back connecting
panels is respectively foldably connected to one of the front and
back panels at an oblique fold line.
19. The blank of claim 18 wherein each of the front and back
connecting panels is respectively foldably connected to one of the
upper corner panels and the lower corner panels at a lateral fold
line.
20. The blank of claim 13 wherein each of the front and back
connecting panels is generally triangular.
21. A method of forming a carton, the method comprising: providing
a blank having a front panel, a back panel, at least one side
panel, at least one front connecting panel foldably connected to
the front panel, and at least one back connecting panel foldably
connected to the back panel, with the side panel having a corner
panel foldably connected to the front and back connecting panels;
forming a sleeve by folding the blank to position the front panel
in generally opposed planar relationship with the back panel; and
forming a corner of the carton by inwardly folding the corner panel
so as to reduce an opening size of an open end of the sleeve.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the forming of the corner
comprises: pivoting the front connecting panel to be in
face-to-face relation with the front panel, and pivoting the back
connecting panel to be in face-to-face relation with the back
panel.
23. The method of claim 21 wherein the end is a top end, the corner
is a top corner, the corner panel is a top corner panel, the front
and back connecting panels are top front and back connecting
panels, and the blank comprises a bottom corner panel foldably
connected to bottom front and back connecting panels, and the
method further comprises forming a bottom corner by inwardly
folding the bottom corner panel to reduce an opening size of an
open bottom end of the sleeve.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the side panel is a first side
panel, the blank further comprises a second side panel having a top
and a bottom corner panel, the top corner is a first top corner,
the bottom corner is a first bottom corner, and the method further
comprises forming a second top corner of the carton by inwardly
folding the top corner panel of the second side panel.
25. The method of claim 24 further comprising forming a second
bottom corner by inwardly folding the bottom corner panel of the
second side panel.
26. The method of claim 21 further comprising inserting a food
product into the sleeve.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein the food product is inserted
into the sleeve prior to the forming of the corner.
28. The method of claim 26 wherein the food product is inserted
into the sleeve after the forming of the corner.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/777,295 which was filed on Feb. 28, 2006. The
entire content of the above-referenced provisional application is
hereby incorporated by reference as if presented herein in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a carton for
holding a food product. More specifically, the present invention
relates to a carton for holding a frozen pizza.
[0003] Paperboard cartons for holding food products such as frozen
pizzas are known. The cartons typically are square-shaped and are
closed at the top, bottom, sides, front, and back to form a
six-sided, fully enclosed carton that contains the pizza and
provides surface areas for printing graphics such as advertisements
or nutritional information. It is desired to minimize the material
required for existing cartons while still providing a full display
panel for graphics. Also, it is desired to provide a carton that
has a unique appearance and shape.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In general, one aspect of the invention is directed to a
carton for holding a food product. The carton comprising a
plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an
interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises a front
panel, a back panel, at least one side panel, at least one front
connecting panel foldably connected to the front panel, and at
least one back connecting panel foldably connected to the back
panel. The side panel has a corner panel foldably connected to the
front and back connecting panels. The front and back connecting
panels and the corner panel cooperate to at least partially form a
webbed corner of the carton.
[0005] In another aspect, the invention is generally directed to a
blank for forming a carton for holding a food product. The blank
comprises a plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a back
panel, at least one side panel, at least one front connecting panel
foldably connected to the front panel, and at least one back
connecting panel foldably connected to the back panel. The side
panel has a corner panel foldably connected to the front and the
back connecting panels.
[0006] In another aspect, the invention is generally directed to a
method of forming a carton. The method comprises providing a blank
having a front panel, a back panel, at least one side panel, at
least one front connecting panel foldably connected to the front
panel, and at least one back connecting panel foldably connected to
the back panel. The side panel has a corner panel foldably
connected to the front and back connecting panels. The method
further comprising forming a sleeve by folding the blank to
position the front panel in generally opposed planar relationship
with the back panel. The method comprising forming a corner of the
carton by inwardly folding the corner panel so as to reduce an
opening size of an open end of the sleeve.
[0007] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above stated
advantages and other advantages and benefits of various additional
embodiments reading the following detailed description of the
embodiments with reference to the below-listed drawing figures.
[0008] According to common practice, the various features of the
drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale.
Dimensions of various features and elements in the drawings may be
expanded or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0009] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank used to form a carton
according to a first embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the carton.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a side perspective of the carton.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the carton of FIG. 3.
[0013] FIG. 5 is top perspective of the carton in a partially
assembled configuration.
[0014] FIGS. 6-9 are enlarged perspectives of a corner panel of the
carton in various stages of assembly.
[0015] FIG. 10 is a bottom end view showing a pizza in the
assembled carton.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] The carton of the present invention is particularly useful
in containing a food product such as a frozen pizza and providing
surfaces on which graphics including advertising or other
information may be displayed to convey information to a consumer.
It is understood that food products other than pizza may be
contained in the carton without departing from the scope of this
invention. Further, food products contained in this carton may be
generally round, square, rectangular, or any other shape without
departing from the scope of this invention.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first, front side of a blank,
generally indicated at 1, used to form a carton, generally
indicated at 3 (FIGS. 2 and 3), according to a first embodiment of
the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the carton 3 is generally
octagonal in shape and has four webbed corners generally indicated
at 5, 7, 9, 11. The carton 3 has an open top end 10 and an open
bottom end 12. It is understood that the carton may have other
shapes and may have fully closed top and bottom ends without
departing from the scope of this invention.
[0018] The blank 1 has a longitudinal axis L1 and a lateral axis
L2. The blank 1 comprises a back panel 13 foldably connected to a
first side panel, generally indicated 15, at a first transverse
fold line 17, a front panel 21 foldably connected to the first side
panel at a second transverse lateral fold line 23 and foldably
connected to a second side panel, generally indicated 27, at a
third transverse fold line 29. Each side panel 15, 27 comprises an
upper corner panel 33, 35 foldably connected to a intermediate
portion 37, 39 of a respective side panel 15, 27 at a first
longitudinal fold line 41, 43 and a lower corner panel 45, 47
foldably connected to the intermediate portion at a second
longitudinal fold line 49, 51. An adhesive flap 55 comprises an
upper portion 61 foldably attached to an intermediate portion 63
along longitudinal fold line 65 and a lower portion 67 foldably
attached to the intermediate portion along longitudinal fold line
69. As will be discussed in more detail below, the blank 8 may be
assembled into the carton by attaching the adhesive flap 55 to the
second side panel 27 by securing the upper portion 61 of the flap
to the upper corner panel 35 of the side panel, the intermediate
portion 63 of the flap to the intermediate portion 39 of the side
panel, and the lower portion 67 of the flap to the lower corner
panel 47 of the side panel with adhesive such as glue.
[0019] The blank 1 includes four back connecting panels 73, 75, 77,
79 foldably connected to the back panel 13 at a respective oblique
fold line 83, 85, 87, 89. The two back connecting panels 73, 77 are
foldably connected to the adhesive flap 55 at the transverse fold
line 57. The back connecting panel 73 is adjacent the upper portion
61 of the adhesive flap 55, and the back connecting panel 77 is
adjacent the lower portion 67 of the adhesive flap. The back
connecting panels 75, 79 are foldably connected to the first side
panel 15 at the transverse fold line 17. The back connecting panel
75 is adjacent the upper corner panel 33 of the side panel 15, and
the back connecting panel 79 is adjacent the lower corner panel 45
of the side panel. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the
connecting panels 73, 75, 77, 79 are generally triangular shaped
and are located at a respective corner of the back panel 13. It is
understood that the connecting panels 73, 75, 77, 79 could be other
sizes and shapes (e.g., square, rectangular, etc.), without
departing from the scope of this invention.
[0020] The blank 1 comprises four front connecting panels 93, 95,
97, 99 similar in size and shape as the back connecting panels 73,
75, 77, 79 and arranged to be in a generally mirror image
arrangement with respect to the back connecting panels. The front
connecting panels 93, 95, 97, 99 are foldably connected to the
front panel 21 by respective oblique fold lines 103, 105, 107, 109.
The front connecting panels 93 and 97 are foldably connected to the
first side panel 15 at the transverse fold line 23 with the front
connecting panel 93 being adjacent the upper corner panel 33 of the
side panel and the front connecting panel 97 being adjacent the
lower corner panel 45 of the side panel. The front connecting
panels 95 and 99 are foldably connected to the second side panel 27
at the transverse fold line 29 with the front connecting panel 95
being adjacent the upper corner panel 35 of the side panel and the
front connecting panel 99 being adjacent the lower corner panel 47
of the side panel. Each of the front connecting panels 93, 95, 97,
99 are located at a respective corner of the front panel 21. As
described below in more detail, the front connecting panels 93, 95,
97, 99 are positioned to be in mirror image relationship with a
respective back connecting panel 73, 75, 77, 79 such that when the
carton 3 is assembled, each of the front connecting panels and a
corresponding back connecting panel cooperate with a corresponding
one of the upper corner panels 33, 35 and lower corner panels 45,
47 of the side panels 15, 27 to form a respective webbed corner of
the carton 3.
[0021] One example of a suitable method for erecting the blank 1
and loading the carton 3 is described in the following. As shown in
FIGS. 2-5, the carton 3 is assembled by placing the front panel 21
in generally opposed planar relationship with the back panel 13 so
that the front panel is spaced apart from the back panel by the
first and second side panels 15, 27. The first side panel 15 is
folded ninety degrees relative to the back panel 13 along fold line
17 so that the first side panel is perpendicular to the back panel
and extends upward therefrom. The front panel 21 is then folded 90
degrees relative to the first side panel 15 so that the front panel
is in generally opposed planar relationship with the back panel 13.
Next, the second side panel 27 is folded downward relative to the
front panel 21 at fold line 29 and the adhesive flap 55 is folded
upward relative to the back panel 13 at fold line 57 to be
generally parallel and adjacent with the second side panel. The
second side panel 27 and adhesive panel 55 may be joined by
adhesive to secure the carton 3 in the partially assembled
configuration shown in FIG. 5. In this configuration the carton 3
comprises a sleeve with a square-shaped front and back panel and an
open top end 10 and an open bottom end 12. A food product P such as
a frozen pizza is placed in the sleeve by sliding the pizza through
the open top end or open bottom end of the sleeve. As will be
discussed below, the corner panels 33, 35, 45, 47 of the carton 3
are assembled to form a generally octagonal-shaped carton with each
corner panel inwardly folded to contain the pizza P or other food
product in the carton.
[0022] The assembly of the lower corner panels 45 of the carton 3
will be discussed below but it is understood that the other three
corner panels 33, 35, 47 are assembled in a similar manner, in
accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the present
invention. As shown in FIGS. 6-8, the lower corner panel 45 of the
carton 3 is assembled from the sleeve shown in FIG. 5 by folding
the corner panel inward at fold line 49 in the direction of arrow
A1 relative to the intermediate portion 37 of the first side panel
15. When the lower corner panel 45 is moved in the direction of A1,
the front panel 21 and bottom panel 13 flex to allow the lower
corner panel 45 to fold inward relative to the intermediate portion
37. As the corner panel 45 is folded inward, the front panel 21
flexes upward and the front connecting panel 97 pivots at the
oblique fold line 89 and the longitudinal fold line 17 as the
corner panel 45 is moved inward. In the illustrated embodiment, the
connecting panel 97 pivots 180 degrees from the unassembled
position of FIG. 6 to the assembled position of FIGS. 9 and 10 as
the corner panel 45 is moved inward in the direction of arrow
A1.
[0023] The lower connecting panel 79 is pivoted in a similar manner
as the upper connecting panel 97. The back panel 13 flexes downward
to allow the pivoting motion of the lower connecting panel 79 at
oblique fold line 107 and longitudinal fold line 23. The lower
connecting panel 79 pivots 180 degrees from the unassembled
position of FIG. 6 to the assembled position of FIGS. 9 and 10 as
the corner panel 45 is moved inward in the direction of arrow A1.
The inwardly folded corner panel 45 and the pivoted upper
connecting panel 97 and lower connecting panel 79 form a webbed
corner of the carton connecting the corner panel with the
respective front panel 21 and back panel 13. At the assembled
position of FIGS. 9 and 10, the upper connecting panel 97 is folded
such that an inner surface 113 of the upper connecting panel is in
generally face-to-face relation with an inner surface 115 of the
front panel 21, and the lower connecting panel 79 is folded such
that an inner surface 121 of the lower connecting panel is in
generally face-to-face relation with an inner surface 123 of the
back panel 13. The webbed corners of the carton may be secured in
the assembled position of FIG. 10 by applying an adhesive such as
glue to the respective inner surfaces 113, 121 of the upper and
lower connecting panels 97, 79 to attach the upper connecting panel
to the inner surface 115 of the front panel 21 and to attach the
lower connecting panel to the inner surface 123 of the pack panel
13. Attachment of the upper and lower connecting panels 97, 79 to
the respective front and back panels 21, 13 holds the corner panel
45 in the assembled position wherein the corner panel is folded
inward from the intermediate portion 37 of the side panel 15. Other
forming configurations and steps for forming the carton 3 could be
used without departing from this invention.
[0024] Each of the corner panels 33, 35, 45, 47 of the carton 3
cooperate with a respective front connecting panel 93, 95, 97, 99
and a respective back connecting panel 73, 75, 77, 79 to form the
webbed corners 5, 7, 9, 11 of the carton. In the illustrated
embodiment, the corner panels 33, 35, 45, 47 are positioned at an
oblique angle in relation to a respective adjacent intermediate
portion 37, 39 of the side panels 15, 27 such that a food product,
for example a frozen pizza P (FIG. 10) having a generally circular
shape, is contained in the carton 3. The inwardly folded corner
panels 33, 35, 45, 47 of the carton 3 prevent the food product from
being removed from the open top end 10 or the open bottom end 12 of
the carton without tearing or otherwise disassembling the
carton.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 10, the width W1 of the open top and bottom
ends 10, 12 of the carton 3 is less than the width W2 between the
intermediate portions 37, 39 of the side walls 15, 27 of the
carton. It is understood that the food product P may have a width
approximately equal to the width W2 between the intermediate
portions 37, 39 of the first and second sidewalls 15, 29 so that
the food product is contained in the carton by the inwardly folded
corner panels 33, 35, 45, 47.
[0026] The pizza P is removed from the carton 3 by opening the
carton at either or both of the top or bottom ends 10, 12 to
increase the width W1 and allow the pizza to be removed from the
carton. The lower corner panels 45, 47 are folded outward to open
the bottom end 12 of the carton 3 and the upper corner panels 33,
35 are folded outward to open the top end 10 of the carton. The
carton 3 may be opened by tearing the webbed corners 5, 7, 9, 11 to
allow movement of the corner panels 33, 35, 45, 47 or the front
connecting panels 93, 95, 97, 99 may be separated from the front
panel 21 and the back connecting panels 73, 75, 77, 79 may be
separated from the back panel 13 to allow movement of the
respective corner panel.
[0027] In one embodiment, the food product P is a round frozen
pizza having a diameter of approximately 11.5 inches. The carton 3
has a width W2 between the intermediate portions 37, 39 of the side
walls 15, 29 of approximately 11.5 inches, a height H1 (FIG. 2)
between the open top and bottom ends 10, 12 of approximately 11.5
inches, and a width W2 of the opening at the top and bottom end of
approximately 6.5 inches. It is understood that the dimensional
information provided herein is exemplary and is not intended to
limit the scope of the invention. Further, the food product P could
have shapes other than circular (e.g., square, rectangular, etc.)
without departing from the scope of this invention.
[0028] It is understood that various sizes of pizzas P or other
food products may be housed in the carton 3 and that graphics
including advertising or other information may be printed on the
outer surfaces of the back panel 13 and the front panel 21, and the
side panels 15, 27 to convey information to the consumer. The
carton 3 of the illustrated embodiment is free from any overlapping
end flaps at the top and bottom ends 10, 12 and uses less material
than conventional six-sided cartons that fully enclose the pizza.
The shape of the carton 3, being generally octagonal in plan view
of the illustrated embodiment, provides the carton a unique shape
to distinguish the carton from conventional square or rectangular
cartons.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the food product P is hidden from view
within the interior of the carton 3; therefore, the food product is
schematically illustrated by dashed lines.
[0030] In the exemplary embodiment discussed above, the blank is
formed from clay coated paperboard, typically having a caliper of
at least about 18, so that it is heavier and more rigid than
ordinary paper. The blank, and thus the carton, can also be
constructed of other materials, such as cardboard, or any other
material having properties suitable for enabling the carton to
function at least generally as described above. The first and
second sides of the blank can be coated with, for example, a clay
coating. The clay coating may then be printed over with product,
advertising, and other information or images. The blank may then be
coated with a varnish to protect any information printed on the
blank. The blank may also be coated with, for example, a moisture
barrier layer, on either or both sides of the blank. The blank can
also be laminated to or coated with one or more sheet-like
materials at selected panels or panel sections.
[0031] The term "line" as used herein includes not only straight
lines, but also other types of lines such as curved, curvilinear or
angularly displaced lines.
[0032] The above embodiments are described as having one or more
panels adhered together by glue. The term "glue" is intended to
encompass all manner of adhesives commonly used to secure carton
panels in place.
[0033] In accordance with the exemplary embodiments, a fold line
can be any substantially linear, although not necessarily straight,
form of weakening that facilitates folding therealong. More
specifically, but not for the purpose of narrowing the scope of the
present invention, fold lines include: a score line, such as lines
formed with a blunt scoring knife, or the like, which creates a
crushed or depressed portion in the material along the desired line
of weakness; a cut that extends partially into a material along the
desired line of weakness, and/or a series of cuts that extend
partially into and/or completely through the material along the
desired line of weakness; and various combinations of these
features. In situations where cutting is used to create a fold
line, typically the cutting will not be overly extensive in a
manner that might cause a reasonable user to incorrectly consider
the fold line to be a tear line.
[0034] The foregoing description of the invention illustrates and
describes various embodiments of the present invention. As various
changes could be made in the above construction without departing
from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter
contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying
drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting
sense. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention covers
various modifications, combinations, alterations, etc., of the
above-described embodiments that are within the scope of the
claims. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only
selected embodiments of the invention, but the invention is capable
of use in various other combinations, modifications, and
environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the
scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein, commensurate
with the above teachings, and/or within the skill or knowledge of
the relevant art. Furthermore, certain features and characteristics
of each embodiment may be selectively interchanged and applied to
other illustrated and non-illustrated embodiments of the invention
without departing from the scope of the invention.
* * * * *