Compartmented Container

Abstract

A container is provided for ready-cooked or partially cooked food, having at least one removable partition attached to the bottom and defining at least two compartments.

Description

Food containers for prepackaged foods sold partially or fully prepared and frozen in freezer sections of food stores are normally provided with a partition which divides the container into compartments in which different types of food can be stored. The partition is normally securely mounted to the bottom and side walls of the container. When it is so mounted, however, different foods cannot be mixed together in the container, thereby enabling the food to be consumed directly from the container. Such a container must therefore be used instead as a serving bowl or tray, from which the food is placed onto a conventional plate.

Another disadvantage with such a construction is that when several empty containers are to be stacked for storage purposes, it is not possible to nest them, due to the partition wall; the containers must be stacked one on top of the other. A stack of containers formed in this way is unstable and requires an extensive vertical storage space.

The disadvantages associated with such containers are eliminated in the container of the present invention, which is mainly characterized in that the bottom of the partition in the container is attached at the flat side to the bottom of the container, and can be folded along a line extending parallel with the bottom. In accordance with a modification of the invention, the partition can be torn from the bottom of the container, thereby allowing mixing of the different foodstuffs in the container.

The container of the invention thus permits storage of different kinds of food separately from each other, and if desired permits ready mixing of the separate foods in the container.

The container of the invention also can be nested in similar containers, and compactly stored therewithin.

The invention will now be described with reference to an embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 illustrates a blank for making a container provided with a collapsible partition wall in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the partition wall of the blank illustrated in FIG. 1, seen from below;

FIG. 3 illustrates the blank shown in FIG. 1 after subsequent shaping to the container, with the partition wall collapsed;

FIG. 4 illustrates the container with the partition wall erected; and

FIG. 5 illustrates how the partition wall can be removed from the container;

In FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the container is shown cut away, for better illustration.

FIG. 1 illustrates a blank from which a container according to the invention is formed. The blank is made in one piece from a thermoplastic polymer sheet or thermoplastic polymer-coated cardboard sheet, the polymer being, for example, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylidene chloride, and other thermoplastic resins which are considered acceptable for the packaging of foodstuffs, as well as from other liquid-impermeable materials such as aluminum sheet or cardboard coated with aluminum foil. The blank comprises a bottom portion 2, four side wall portions 3,4,5,6, and a circumferentially extending rim or flange 7, all defined by corresponding raised or embossed fold lines along their borders. The side walls of the blank at the corners have fold lines defining five abutting substantially triangular portions. The blank can be readily folded to form the container along these fold lines.

A partition wall 9 is secured to the blank such as by bonding transversely across the bottom portion 2 from side wall 4 to side wall 6. The partition wall, which is also made of a thermoplastic polymer sheet, thermoplastic-coated cardboard sheet, or the like, comprises a foot 10, a web 11, and two side flaps 12, 13 having a slight arcuate edge, and a pull flap 14 (see also FIG. 2). Prior to securing the partition wall 9 to the blank, the bottom surface of the foot 10 is provided with two parallel score lines 15, 16, which extend from one short side of the foot to the other. The depth of the score lines is such that a readily tearable strip 17 is formed. The foot 10 is then securely attached, such as by bonding, to the bottom portion 2 along the length of the strip 17. The foot is attached in a manner such that the bond between the strip 17 and the bottom portion 2 is much stronger than the strength of the score-line weakened material from which the foot 10 is made, along the score line 15. Thus, in this way the partition wall 9 can be readily torn from the bottom piece along the score-line 15. The strip 17 remains attached to the bottom 2 when it is torn loose from the foot 10 and web 11.

The container, with the partition wall 9 securely bonded to the blank 1, can be readily nested in similar containers, since the web 11 of the partition wall and the flaps 12, 13 are moved into flat parallel abutment with the bottom 2 when nesting one container in the other, and thereby require no more space than the thickness of the partition wall 9.

The blank is shaped to the container with partition wall 9 attached illustrated in FIG. 3 by folding the blank along the embossed fold lines in a shaping tool with the corner portions 8 folded over in lapping relation, as seen in FIG. 3. The lapped corner portions 8 are then bonded together such as by heat-sealing if the blank is made of thermoplastic sheet or thermoplastic-coated sheet or by the use of an adhesive or bonding agent. The means used to heat-seal the folds may be of conventional construction, and is not illustrated in the Figures. When folding the blank, the side flaps 12, 13 of the partition wall 9 are folded upwardly, along two parallel side walls of the container, at the same time as the web 11 and the pull flap 14 remain in a recumbent position along the bottom portion 2 of the container. In this way, shaping of the container is not obstructed in any way by the partition wall, but can be effected irrespective thereof. Another advantage afforded by the novel construction in this stage is that the containers can be readily nested within each other, since the side walls are flared slightly outwardly, and the partition wall folded flat down requires no more space than its thickness. The containers can therefore be nested within each other without being obstructed by the partition wall.

When the container is to be used, the partition wall 9 is raised, by folding the side flaps 12, 13 in a direction opposite to that in which they lay when shaping the container. (See FIGS. 3 and 4). The side flaps attempt to return to their initial position, but they are prevented from doing so by the side walls 4, 6 of the container. Thus, in this way the side flaps are resiliently held against the side walls of the container with a force corresponding to the resiliency of the material of which the flaps are made.

The vertical edges of the side flaps are slightly arcuate in shape, and thus the side flaps conform substantially exactly to the slightly flared side walls of the container, so that a satisfactory seal is obtained between the side walls of the container and the partition wall.

Subsequent to erecting the partition wall, food can be placed in the two compartments separated by the partition. Thus, meat and gravy may be placed in one compartment and potatoes and vegetables in the other. After placing the food in the separate compartments, a sheet of foil can be placed over the container and attached to the edge rim or flange 7 in a known manner. The container and its contents are therewith ready for storage, sale and use. When using the contents of the container, the sealed container is heated in an oven until the food has reached the appropriate temperature. The plastic foil is then removed from the container, and the hot food can be eaten directly therefrom. If desired, the foodstuffs contained in the two compartments can be mixed together while eating from the container, simply by tearing the partition wall 9 from the container. This can be effected by taking the container in one hand and lightly pulling the pull flap 14 of the partition wall with the other (see FIG. 5). This will part the wall along score line 15 and detach it from the strip 17 bonded to the bottom 2 of the container, while the partition wall 9 is lifted from the container. Owing to the fact that the pull flap 14 projects slightly out of the container when the plastic foil is removed, the fingers of the user are prevented from coming into contact with the food in the container when the partition wall is removed.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it is not restricted thereto, but can be modified within the purview of the concept of the invention. Thus, it is not necessary that the container be made from a thermoplastic polymer sheet, of thermoplastic-coated cardboard sheet. It can be made from any appropriate sheet material, such as for example, heat-resistant non thermoplastic material, aluminum, or cardboard or other sheet material coated with an appropriate, liquid-impermeable material, such as for example, aluminum foil. The partition wall can also be made from any of the aforementioned materials, which, however, need not be the same as that used for the container.

If the container blank and the partition wall are made from a thermoplastic material or a thermoplastic-coated material, they can be heat-sealed or bonded together.

Further, the partition wall need not be provided with the pull flap illustrated in the exemplary embodiment. Such a pull flap, however, is practical and hygienic, since it provides a gripping point for the fingers without its being necessary for the fingers to come into contact with the food in the container. It is also possible to construct the pull flap so that it extends along the whole of the web 11 of the partition wall.

In the illustrated embodiment, one edge of the side flaps of the partition wall is slightly arcuate in shape. Such a configuration is not necessary, and the side flaps may each have the shape of an equilateral triangle, or a square, or a rectangle. When the container is provided with flared side walls, as with the illustrated embodiment, an arcuate side flap is preferred, since this configuration facilitates the abutment of the side flaps with the side walls, and is better than if the side flaps were straight.

In the illustrated embodiment, the container has been provided with only one partition wall. It will readily be perceived, however, that the container may, to advantage, be provided with several partition walls, and thereby with a correspondingly larger number of compartments. The various compartments of the container need not, of course, be of equal size, but can be adjusted to the space desired for different foodstuffs to be stored in the container. It is possible to arrange the partition walls in the container so that one or more of said walls extend from a partition wall to another partition wall, or from a partition wall to one side walls of the container.

Neither is the container of the present invention restricted to the approximately or rectangular shape illustrated. Any shape suitable for the purpose can be used, such as polygonal, circular, elliptical and triangular.

If the partition wall be made from a cardboard material coated with a sealing material, it is not necessary to provide the foot 10 of the partition wall with two parallel score lines to facilitate tearing of the partition wall. One score line will suffice, along the edge of the foot adjacent the web 11. The portion of the partition wall remaining when the wall is torn away is thus comprised of the strip of sealing material defined by the score line, and the three free edges of the foot 10.

Claims

Having regard to the foregoing disclosure, the following is claimed as the inventive and patentable embodiments thereof:

1. A compartmented container having at least one bottom portion and upstanding side walls with corner portions therebetween attached to said bottom portion and defining an interior space therebetween; and at least one partition separating the space into at least two compartments, and comprising a foot, web and two side flaps, the foot being disposed at the bottom portion of the partition, at which foot the partition is attached to the bottom of the container, and each side flap being attached to opposite side edges of the web, the partition being pivotable along a fold line extending between the foot and the web, and the side flaps being pivotable along fold lines extending between the web and the side flaps, and resiliently resisting bending along the fold lines to frictionally engage abutting side walls of the container, and resist movement of the partition along its fold line between the foot and the web, the partition being pivotable along such fold line between an upright separating and compartmenting position, and an out-of-the-way flat position parallel to and abutting the bottom of the container; the corner portions between the container side walls being defined by fold lines into triangular portions folded over in lapping relationship, thereby forming the corners.

2. A container according to claim 1, in which the edges of the side flaps of the partition are arcuate in shape.

3. A container according to claim 1, in which the partition is made of or surfaced with thermoplastic polymer material.

4. A container according to claim 1, in which the partition is made of cardboard material coated with a layer of thermoplastic.

5. A container according to claim 1, in which the partition is provided with at least one score line along the side attached to the bottom of the container, whereby the partition can be torn from the bottom of the container.

6. A container according to claim 1, in which the partition is provided with a pull flap projecting outwardly therefrom.

7. A container according to claim 1, in which the partition is attached to the bottom of the container by bonding.

8. A container according to claim 1, in which the partition is attached to the bottom of the container by heat-sealing.

9. A blank for forming a container according to claim 1, made in one piece of sheet material with fold lines separating and defining the bottom and side wall portions, and corner portions therebetween, the partition being a separate piece attached thereto to the bottom portion.

10. A blank according to claim 9, in which the corner portions are defined by fold lines into five triangular portions adapted to be folded over in lapping relationship upon raising of the side wall portions to form the corners.