Patent Application
20240425228
The disclosure of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/523,193, filed on Jun. 26, 2023, is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if set forth in its entirety.
The present disclosure generally relates to cartons for holding and dispensing food products.
In general, one aspect of the disclosure is directed to a carton for holding a serving container containing one or more articles. The carton comprises panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton and a support structure extending in the interior of the carton. The support structure being for engaging at least a portion of the serving container in the interior of the carton. The carton can include features for thermally isolating the one or more articles, heating the one or more articles, and/or controlling moisture in the interior of the carton.
According to one aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a carton assembly, the carton assembly comprising an outer carton comprising a first plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carton assembly, an inner holder positioned in the interior of the carton assembly and comprising a second plurality of panels extending at least partially around a container receiving space for at least partially receiving a serving container, a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to a respective panel of the first plurality of panels and in at least partial overlapping relation to form a closed bottom of the carton assembly, and an insulating gap between the inner holder and the outer carton in the interior of the carton assembly for providing insulation to the inner holder.
According to another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to at least one blank for forming a carton assembly, the at least one blank comprising an outer carton portion comprising a first plurality of panels for extending at least partially around an interior of the carton assembly formed from the at least one blank, the outer carton portion of the at least one blank for forming an outer carton when the carton assembly is formed from the at least one blank, an inner holder portion comprising a second plurality of panels for extending at least partially around a container receiving space for at least partially receiving a serving container when the carton assembly is formed from the at least one blank, a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to a respective panel of the first plurality of panels and for being positioned in at least partial overlapping relation to form a closed bottom of the carton assembly formed from the at least one blank, and the inner holder portion of the at least one blank for forming an inner holder positioned in the interior of the carton assembly formed from the at least one blank such that an insulating gap between the inner holder and the outer carton in the interior of the carton assembly is formed for providing insulation to the inner holder.
According to another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a method of forming a carton assembly, the method comprising obtaining at least one blank, the at least one blank comprising an outer carton portion comprising a first plurality of panels, an inner holder portion comprising a second plurality of panels, and a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to a respective panel of the first plurality of panels, positioning the first plurality of panels to form an outer carton of the carton assembly and such that the first plurality of panels extend at least partially around an interior of the carton assembly, positioning the second plurality of panels to form an inner holder of the carton assembly at least partially in the interior of the carton assembly such that an insulating gap between the inner holder and the outer carton in the interior of the carton assembly is formed for providing insulation to the inner holder, the second plurality of panels extending at least partially around a container receiving space of the inner holder, and at least partially overlapping the plurality of end flaps to form a closed bottom of the carton assembly.
A system, the system comprising a carton assembly, the carton assembly comprising an outer carton comprising a first plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carton assembly, an inner holder positioned in the interior of the carton assembly and comprising a second plurality of panels extending at least partially around a container receiving space for at least partially receiving a serving container, a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to a respective panel of the first plurality of panels and in at least partial overlapping relation to form a closed bottom of the carton assembly, and an insulating gap between the inner holder and the outer carton in the interior of the carton assembly for providing insulation to the inner holder; and at least one of a humidity control feature and a heat source attached to the outer carton.
Other aspects, features, and details of the present disclosure can be more completely understood by reference to the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings and from the appended claims.
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. Further, 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 disclosure.
Corresponding parts are designated by corresponding reference numbers throughout the drawings.
The carton assemblies and related systems of the present disclosure can help improve the quality of food items or other suitable items from restaurants, fast food restaurants, quick service restaurants, commercial kitchens, etc. that may be delivered to consumers. Orders for food delivery may contain different food types with different serving temperatures and/or having different moisture/humidity tolerances. For example, certain foods in an order may be intended to be served hot and other foods may be intended to be served cold. In embodiments, the carton assemblies of the present disclosure can help to at least partially thermally isolate (e.g., insulate) a food item to help keep the food item hot or cold. Further, the carton assemblies of the present disclosure can include a heat source and/or a feature for controlling the moisture/humidity of the interior of the container. In exemplary embodiments, the carton assemblies can be configured for holding French fries, which are intended to be served hot and crispy. The carton assemblies of the present disclosure can help reduce the cooling of the fries during delivery and can help keep moisture/humidity in the carton controlled to help prevent the fries from becoming soggy.
In exemplary embodiments, the carton assemblies of the present disclosure can help to manage temperature and humidity for food quality to current hold-time standards, can help to organize and protect the food (e.g., isolate hot food from cold food), can be portable (e.g., easy to handle), can be simple to assemble by workers preparing food for delivery relative to other packaging solutions (e.g., the present cartons can be part of an efficient workflow), can have validated cost trade-offs relative to other packaging solutions, can help keep inventory simple (e.g., minimum SKUs and/or reduction of SKUs), and/or can include tamper evident features (e.g., tape, locking tabs, etc.). In embodiments, the carton assemblies of the present disclosure can be used in non-delivery channels, can include disposal features, and/or can have an order accuracy feature (e.g., for identifying/verifying the contents of the carton).
In embodiments, the carton assemblies of the present disclosure can help provide a solution to keep hot food hot & crispy and/or cold food cold, potentially using the same outer container, when delivered to consumers. In exemplary embodiments, the carton assemblies of the present disclosure can be suitable for containing French fries and/or other suitable food items. In embodiments, the carton assemblies of the present disclosure can be configured to hold a serving container (e.g., a fry scoop) that can be similar or identical to those used by fast service restaurants. In embodiments, the carton assemblies of the present disclosure can be easy or simple to set up for back-of-house operations (e.g., can be part of an efficient workflow for workers) and/or can be easily stored relative to other packaging solutions.
The blank 103, as shown, can have a longitudinal axis L1, a lateral axis L2, and can include an outer carton portion 109 for at least partially forming an outer carton portion 111 (broadly “outer carton”) of the carton assembly 105, and an inner holder portion 113 for at least partially forming an inner holder portion 115 (broadly, “inner holder”) of the carton assembly 105.
As shown, the outer carton portion 109 of the blank 103 and the outer carton portion 111 of the carton assembly 105 formed therefrom can be at least partially foldably connected to the inner holder portion 113 of the blank 103 and the inner holder portion 115 of the carton assembly 105 formed therefrom so as to be attached thereto. In some embodiments, the outer carton portion 109/outer carton portion 111 can be free from foldable connection to the inner holder portion 113/inner holder portion 115.
In this regard, the outer carton portion 109 of the blank 103 can include a first plurality of panels for extending at least partially around an interior 107 of the carton assembly 105 and of the outer carton portion 111 itself.
The first plurality of panels, as shown, can include a front panel 121, a first side panel 123 foldably connected to the front panel 121 at an oblique fold line 125, a second side panel 127 foldably connected to the front panel 121 at an oblique fold line 129, and a back panel 131 foldably connected to the second side panel 127 at an oblique fold line 133. A lid panel 120 can be foldably connected to the back panel 131 at a curved fold line 122.
The first side panel 123, as shown, can include a first portion 135 foldably connected to the front panel 121 at the oblique fold line 125 and a second portion 137 foldably connected to the first portion 135 at an oblique fold line 139. Similarly, the second side panel 127 can include a first portion 141 foldably connected to the front panel 121 at the fold line 129 and a second portion 143 foldably connected to the first portion 141 at a lateral fold line 145 and foldably connected to the back panel 131 at the oblique fold line 133.
With continued reference to
The second side panel 151 of the second plurality of panels, as shown, can include a second portion 163 foldably connected to the back panel 147 at the oblique fold line 153 and a first portion 165 foldably connected to the second portion 163 at an oblique fold line 167. Similarly, the first side panel 159 can include a second portion 169 foldably connected to the front panel 155 at the fold line 161 and a first portion 171 foldably connected to the second portion 169 at an oblique fold line 173.
In view of the foregoing, the outer carton portion 109 of the blank 103 and the outer carton portion 111 of the carton assembly 105 formed therefrom can be at least partially foldably connected to the inner holder portion 113 of the blank 103 and the inner holder portion 115 of the carton assembly 105 formed therefrom at the fold line 149.
The blank 103 and the carton assembly 105 formed therefrom can also include a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels. In the illustrated embodiment a first top end flap 175 foldably connected to the front panel 121 at a curved fold line 177, a first bottom end flap 179 (broadly, “second bottom end flap”) foldably connected to the front panel 121 at an oblique fold line 181, and a second bottom end flap 183 (broadly, “first bottom end flap”) foldably connected to the back panel 131 at an oblique fold line 185. Furthermore, an attachment end flap 187 can be foldably connected to the back panel 131 of the first plurality of panels at an oblique fold line 189, and an attachment end flap 191 can be foldably connected to the first side panel 159 of the second plurality of panels at an oblique fold line 193.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first bottom end flap 179 can include a first portion 180 foldably connected to the front panel 121 at the fold line 181, and a second portion 182 foldably connected to the first portion 180 at an oblique fold line 184.
In some embodiments, one or more end flaps of the plurality of end flaps can be considered a panel of the plurality of panels. For example, in some embodiments, the first bottom end flap 179 can be considered a bottom panel, and the second bottom end flap 183 can be considered another bottom panel.
As described herein, at least the lid panel 120 is for least partially forming a reclosable top end 117 (broadly, “lid”) of the carton assembly 105, and the bottom end flaps 179, 183 are for being at least partially overlapped to at least partially form a closed bottom end 119 of the carton assembly 105.
In this regard, and as described further herein, the blank 103 and the carton assembly 105 formed therefrom can also facilitate reconfiguration of the carton assembly 105 between an open configuration, in which the lid panel 120 is in an open position at least partially raised away from the remainder of the outer carton 111, and a closed configuration, in which the lid panel 120 is in a closed position at least partially overlying the outer carton 111 and/or interior 107 of the carton assembly 105. In some embodiments, the closed configuration of the carton assembly 105/closed position of the lid panel 120 can include contacting one or more of the panels 121, 123, 127, 131 and the end flap 175.
The blank 103 and the carton assembly 105 formed therefrom can also include locking features for at least partially maintaining the carton assembly 105 in the closed configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking features can include a male locking feature in the form of a locking tab 195 foldably connected to the lid panel 120 at a curved fold line 197, and a female locking feature at least partially defined by a cut 199 interrupting the fold line 177 for at least partially receiving the male locking feature.
Turning to
Such an arrangement can position the first plurality of panels extending at least partially around the interior 107 of the carton assembly 105, and can include relative folding of respective panels of the first plurality of panels at a respective fold line 125, 129, 133, 139, 145.
The second plurality of panels can also be arranged such that the front panel 155 is positioned in spaced and parallel relation with the back panel 147 and such that the side panels 159, 151 extend from the front panel 155 to the back panel 147 and in spaced and parallel relation to one another. The attachment end flap 191 can be folded at the fold line 193 into at least partial face-to-face contact with the back panel 147. In some embodiments, the back panel 147 of the inner holder 115 can be positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact with the back panel 131 of the outer carton 111.
Such an arrangement can position the second plurality of panels extending at least partially around a container-receiving space 110 of the carton assembly 105, and can include relative folding of respective panels of the second plurality of panels at a respective fold line 149, 153, 157, 161, 167, 173.
The bottom end flap 179 can be at least partially folded at the fold line 181 and the bottom end flap 183 can be at least partially folded at the fold line 185 into at least partial face-to-face contact to form the closed bottom end 119 of the carton assembly 105. In some embodiments, in the course of forming the carton assembly 105, the second portion 182 of the bottom end flap 179 can be folded relative to the first portion 180 thereof at the fold line 184, for example, to facilitate a collapsed configuration of the carton assembly 105 for storage, shipping, etc.
The top end flap 175 can be at least partially folded at the fold line 177 to extend over the interior 107 of the carton assembly 105, and such that the female locking features separates therefrom at the cut 199 to form a locking opening for at least partially receiving the locking tab 195.
As described herein, the lid panel 120 can be folded at the fold line 122 to at least partially overlie the interior 107 of the carton assembly 105 and such that the locking tab 195 can be folded at the fold line 197 for receipt in the locking opening formed by the cut 199 to at least partially form and/or at least partially maintain the closed configuration of the carton assembly 105.
In this regard, the outer carton 111 can be at least partially formed from the first plurality of panels extending at least partially around the interior 107 of the carton assembly 105 and the inner holder 115 can be at least partially formed by the second plurality of panels extending at least partially around a container receiving space 110 of the carton assembly 105, with the inner holder 115 positioned in the interior 107 of the carton assembly 105/outer carton 111 and foldably connected to the outer carton 111 at the fold line 149.
In some embodiments, the size and arrangement of the inner holder 115 can at least partially maintain the positional arrangement thereof relative to the panels and end flaps of the outer carton 111 such that an insulating gap 112 can be at least partially defined between the first plurality of panels/inner holder 115 and the first plurality of panels/outer carton 111 for providing insulation to the inner holder 115. For example, and as shown, the back panel 147 of the second plurality of panels can have a longer longitudinal direction so as to extend from the remainder of the inner holder 115 to the first side panel 123 when the carton assembly 105 is formed.
As described herein, the insulating gap 112 can provide one or more spaces between the inner holder 115 and surfaces of the outer carton 111 about which a user may grasp the carton assembly 105.
As also shown, the second plurality of panels can be vertically shorter along the lateral axis L1 than the first plurality of panels such that when the inner holder 115 of the carton assembly 105 is formed, the inner holder 115 can be at least partially suspended above the closed bottom 119 of the carton assembly 105, e.g., such that a portion of the insulating gap 112 can be at least partially defined in the interior of the carton assembly 105 between lower free edges of the second plurality of panels and the closed bottom 119 of the carton assembly 105.
Accordingly, and with additional reference to
As also shown, a humidity control feature D can be positioned on an interior surface of the lid panel 120 of the carton assembly 105 (e.g., can be secured such as by glue) so as to be attached to the outer carton 111. In some embodiments, the humidity control feature D can be configured to absorb moisture, e.g., steam, ambient humidity, etc., so as to maintain a desired level of moisture content in the interior 107 of the carton assembly 105. In embodiments, the humidity control feature D can be a humidity control pouch such as a SAVRpak pouch or pad available from SAVRpak in San Juan Capistrano, CA, or any other suitable humidity control feature.
Turning to
In the illustrated embodiment, the serving container C can be a food service container, e.g., a carton or other construct provided at a quick service restaurant, that includes a bottom wall and a sidewall SW extending upwardly therefrom so as to extend at least partially around an interior of the serving container C within which one or more food items F, e.g., French fries, onion rings, chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, chicken strips, tater tots, etc., can be received. It will be understood that the bottom wall and sidewall SW of the serving container C can be at least partially formed by one or more overlapping panels, end flaps, portions, thereof, etc. It will be understood that the serving container C can be provided with a different arrangement, fewer features, additional features, etc., without departing from the disclosure. In some embodiments, one or more food products F can be provided in the inner holder 115 without a serving container C.
In some embodiments, a frictional engagement of respective panels of the second plurality of panels of the inner holder 115 can have a frictional engagement with the sidewall SW of the serving container C to maintain an at least partially suspended arrangement of the serving container C in the interior 107 of the carton assembly 105. In some embodiments, the inner holder 115 can have an at least partially tapered arrangement to facilitate engagement with a serving container C at least partially received in the container receiving space 110 therein. In some embodiments, the serving container C can be positioned supported on the bottom closed end 119 of the carton assembly 105 and/or a heat source H positioned thereon. In some embodiments, the inner holder 115 can be provided with a bottom wall structure to maintain a vertical height of the serving container C in the interior 107 of the carton assembly 107.
In view of the foregoing, a carton assembly 105 with a reclosable top end 119 is provided for holding one or more food products F that can be provided with or without a serving container C.
Furthermore, the insulating gap 112 can provide a substantial disruption, minimization, and/or elimination of thermally conductive structure between the inner holder 115 and the outer carton 111 so as to reduce the rate of loss of heat from one or more food products F held in the interior 107 of the carton assembly 105.
In some embodiments, the optional heat source H can further be provided to offset heat losses and/or maintain a desired level of heat in the interior 107 of the carton assembly 105 and/or to one or more food products F.
In addition, the optional humidity control feature D can help capture steam emanating from hot food product(s) F and/or other moisture/humidity/condensation in the interior 107 of the carton assembly 105 to maintain one or more properties thereof, e.g., to minimize, inhibit, and/or prevent the food product(s) F from becoming undesirably moist or soggy.
It will be understood that the carton assembly 105 can have a different arrangement and/or configuration without departing from the disclosure.
Turning to
As described herein, the system 200 can include the carton assembly 205, and, optionally, one or more of a serving container C, a humidity control feature D and a heat source H. In some embodiments, the system 200 and/or the carton assembly 205 can be provided with one or more food products F.
As described further herein, the outer carton blank 203 is for cooperating with an inner holder blank 303 (broadly, “inner holder portion”) (
With continued reference to
In this regard, the outer carton blank 203 can include the front panel 121, the back panel 131, the side panels 123, 127, the end flaps 120, 175, 179, 187, and associated features.
However, in some embodiments, the positioning of the front panel 121 and back panel 131 can be transposed such that the front panel 121 is foldably connected to the attachment end flap 187 at the fold line 189 and foldably connected to the side panel 127 at the fold line 133. Furthermore, the back panel 131 can be foldably connected to the side panel 127 at the fold line 129 and to the side panel 123 at the fold line 125.
In addition, the bottom end flap 183 can have a first portion 280 foldably connected to the back panel 131 at the oblique fold line 185, and can have a second portion 282 foldably connected to the first portion 280 at an oblique fold line 284.
Further, the plurality of end flaps of the outer carton blank 203 can include a top end flap 221 foldably connected to the side panel 123 at an oblique fold line 223, and which can be at least partially bisected by the fold line 139 so as to form a first portion 229 foldably connected to a second portion 231 at a respective portion of the fold line 139.
Similarly, a top end flap 225 can be foldably connected to the side panel 127 at a longitudinal fold line 227, and which can be at least partially bisected by the fold line 145 so as to form a first portion 233 foldably connected to a second portion 235 at a respective portion of the fold line 145.
A bottom end flap 237 can be foldably connected to the side panel 123 at an oblique fold line 239, and which can include a first portion 241 foldably connected to the side panel 123 at the fold line 239 and which can be foldably connected to a second portion 243 at a fold line 245. The bottom end flap 237 can be separated from the bottom end flap 183 at a cut extending therealong.
A bottom end flap 247 can be foldably connected to the side panel 127 at a longitudinal fold line 249, and which can include a first portion 251 foldably connected to the side panel 127 at the fold line 249 and which can be foldably connected to a second portion 253 at a fold line 255. The bottom end flap 247 can be separable from the bottom end flap 183 at a respective cut extending therealong, and can be separable from the end flap 139 at a respective cut extending therealong.
Turning to
In this regard, the inner holder blank 303 can include the front panel 155, the back panel 147, the side panels 159, 151, the end flap 191, and associated features.
However, and as shown, the back panel 147 can have a free edge at least partially defined by a series of spaced apart recesses 257 extending therealong, each recess 257 having a generally rounded bracket-shaped configuration, though the recesses 257 can have a different configuration without departing from the disclosure.
As also shown, the fold line 153 can be interrupted by a series of cuts 259 in alternating orientations so as to define respective spacing tab(s) 261 extending from the respective panels 147, 151. As shown, the cuts 259 can have configurations generally similar to those described above with respect to the recesses 257, though the cuts 259 could have a different configuration without departing from the disclosure.
As shown, cuts 259 in reversing orientations can be provided interrupting the respective fold lines 157, 161, 193 so as to at least partially define respective spacing tabs 261 extending from the respective panels 151, 155, 159 and the end flap 191.
Turning to
In some embodiments, the front panel 121 can be positioned in spaced and parallel relation with the back panel 131 such that the side panels 123, 127 extend from the front panel 121 to the back panel 131 in at least partial spaced relation with one another. The attachment end flap 187 can be at least partially folded at the fold line 189 into at least partial face-to-face contact with the second portion 137 of the side panel 123.
Such an arrangement can position the first plurality of panels extending at least partially around the interior 107 of the carton assembly 205, and can include relative folding of respective panels of the first plurality of panels at a respective fold line 125, 129, 133, 139, 145.
The second plurality of panels can also be arranged such that the front panel 155 is positioned in spaced and parallel relation with the back panel 147 and such that the side panels 159, 151 extend from the front panel 155 to the back panel 147 and in spaced and parallel relation to one another. The attachment end flap 191 can be folded at the fold line 193 into at least partial face-to-face contact with the back panel 147.
Such an arrangement can position the second plurality of panels extending at least partially around a container receiving space 210 of the carton assembly 205, and can include relative folding of respective panels of the second plurality of panels at a respective fold line 153, 157, 161, 167, 173.
Such relative movement of the second plurality of panels can also cause the respective spacing tabs 261 to at least partially separate from a respective panel of the second plurality of panels at the respective cut 259 so as to extend outwardly from the inner holder 315, e.g., away from the container receiving space 210.
In some embodiments, at least one spacing tab 261 extending from the side panel 159 can be at least partially received in a respective recess 257 along the free edge of the back panel 147.
The bottom end flap 179 can be at least partially folded at the fold line 181 into at least partial face-to-face contact with the front panel 121 and the bottom end flap 183 can be at least partially folded at the fold line 185 into at least partial face-to-face contact with a respective portion of the back panel 131.
In particular, the first portion 180 of the end flap 179 can be folded into at least partial face-to-face contact with a respective portion of the front panel 121 and the first portion 280 of the end flap 183 can be positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact with a respective portion of the back panel 131. The respective second portions 182, 282 of the respective end flaps 179, 183 can then be folded at the respective fold lines 184, 284 to be positioned extending toward one another into at least partial face-to-face contact
Furthermore, the second portion 243 of the end flap 237 can be folded at the fold line 245 into at least partial face-to-face contact with the first portion 241 thereof, and the second portion 253 of the end flap 247 can be folded at the fold line 255 into at least partial face-to-face contact with the first portion 247 thereof to at least partially form the closed bottom end 219 of the carton assembly 205.
In the illustrated arrangement, a recessed portion 286 can be at least partially defined by the closed bottom end 219 of the carton assembly 205 between the respective end flaps 179, 183, 237, 247.
The top end flap 175 can be at least partially folded at the fold line 177 to extend over the interior 107 of the carton assembly 205, and such that the female locking features separates therefrom at the cut 199 to form a locking opening for at least partially receiving the locking tab 195.
As described herein, the lid panel 120 can be folded at the fold line 122 to at least partially overlie the interior 107 of the carton assembly 205 and such that the locking tab 195 can be folded at the fold line 197 for receipt in the locking opening formed by the cut 199 to at least partially form and/or at least partially maintain the closed configuration of the carton assembly 205.
In this regard, and as shown in
Turning to
However, and as shown, the spacing tabs 261 can extend outwardly from the inner holder 315 to contact one or more interior surfaces of the outer carton 211, e.g., to at least partially define the insulating gap 212 therebetween and/or to maintain the position of the inner holder 315 in the interior 107 of the outer carton 211. In this regard, the inner holder 315 can be attached to the outer carton 211 via the spacing tabs 261.
As described herein, the insulating gap 212 can provide one or more spaces between the inner holder 315 and surfaces of the outer carton 211 about which a user may grasp the carton assembly 205.
As also shown, the second plurality of panels can be vertically shorter along the lateral axis L1 than the first plurality of panels such that when the inner holder 315 of the carton assembly 205 is formed, the inner holder 315 can be at least partially suspended above, e.g., spaced above, the closed bottom 219 of the carton assembly 205, e.g., such that a portion of the insulating gap 212 can be at least partially defined in the interior of the carton assembly 205 between lower free edges of the second plurality of panels and the closed bottom 219 of the carton assembly 205.
In some embodiments, frictional engagement of one or more of the spacing tabs 261 and a respective interior surface of the outer carton 211 can maintain such at least partially suspended arrangement of the inner holder 315 above the closed bottom 219 in the interior 107 of the carton assembly 205.
With additional reference to
As also shown, a humidity control feature D can be positioned on an interior surface of the lid panel 120 of the carton assembly 205 (e.g., can be secured such as by glue) so as to be attached to the outer carton 211.
The carton assembly 205 can thus be provided with the outer carton 211 and inner holder 315 arranged for at least partially receiving a serving container C therein with advantages and functionality similar to those described above with regard to the carton assembly 105.
In some embodiments, the optional heat source H can further be provided to offset heat losses and/or maintain a desired level of heat in the interior 107 of the carton assembly 205 and/or to one or more food products F.
In addition, the optional humidity control feature D can help capture steam emanating from hot food product(s) F and/or other moisture/humidity/condensation in the interior 107 of the carton assembly 205 to maintain one or more properties thereof, e.g., to minimize, inhibit, and/or prevent the food product(s) F from becoming undesirably moist or soggy.
It will be understood that the carton assembly 205 can have a different arrangement and/or configuration without departing from the disclosure.
Any of the features of the various embodiments of the disclosure can be combined with, replaced by, or otherwise configured with other features of other embodiments of the disclosure without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
The blanks according to the present disclosure can be, for example, formed from coated paperboard and similar materials. For example, the interior and/or exterior sides of the blanks can be coated with a clay coating. The clay coating may then be printed over with product, advertising, price coding, and other information or images. The blanks may then be coated with a varnish to protect any information printed on the blank. The blanks may also be coated with, for example, a moisture barrier layer, on either or both sides of the blanks. In accordance with the above-described embodiments, the blank may be constructed of paperboard of a caliper such that it is heavier and more rigid than ordinary paper. The blanks can also be constructed of other materials, such as cardboard, hard paper, or any other material having properties suitable for enabling the cartons, to function at least generally as described above. The blanks can also be laminated to or coated with one or more sheet-like materials at selected panels or panel sections.
In accordance with the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, 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 disclosure, fold lines include: a score line, such as lines formed with a blunt scoring knife, or the like, which creates a crushed 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.
As an example, a tear line can include: a slit that extends partially into the material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of spaced apart slits that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness, or various combinations of these features. As a more specific example, one type tear line is in the form of a series of spaced apart slits that extend completely through the material, with adjacent slits being spaced apart slightly so that a nick (e.g., a small somewhat bridging-like piece of the material) is defined between the adjacent slits for typically temporarily connecting the material across the tear line. The nicks are broken during tearing along the tear line. The nicks typically are a relatively small percentage of the tear line, and alternatively the nicks can be omitted from or torn in a tear line such that the tear line is a continuous cut line. That is, it is within the scope of the present disclosure for each of the spaced apart slits to be replaced with a continuous slit, a continuous score, or the like. For example, a cut line can be a continuous slit or could be wider than a slit without departing from the present disclosure. Also, a tear line can be a series of cut scores passing completely, or partially, through the material, that are separated by nicks.
The above embodiments may be described as having one or more panels adhered together by glue during erection of the carton embodiments. The term “glue” is intended to encompass all manner of adhesives commonly used to secure carton panels in place.
The foregoing description of the disclosure illustrates and describes various exemplary embodiments. Various additions, modifications, changes, etc., could be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. 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. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only selected embodiments of the disclosure, but the disclosure 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 disclosure.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/523,193, filed on Jun. 26, 2023.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63523193 | Jun 2023 | US |
