Patent Application
20120104081
This invention relates in general to a packaging unit or carton and more particularly to a one piece blank that constructs into a beverage and snack compartmentalized carton.
Entertainment events such as sport events or movies often provide the option of having various types of food and drinks to enjoy during the event. For example movie theatre patrons often enjoy eating and drinking during a movie and more specifically eat buttered popcorn, chips, or other snack food together with a cold beverage and candy or treat. Typically these snack foods are packaged in individual cartons or containers namely a popcorn tub, and an individual drink cup. Candy and other treats traditionally come in there own packaging or wrapper. The movie theatre patron then transports or carries these individual purchases into the movie theatre. Depending on the number of cartons, this process can be difficult as the cartons must be balanced and juggled during their transportation which can often result in spills and messes.
Moreover at sporting events and other types of entertainment events different types of food, besides typical movie going food noted above, may be offered that is easily transportable around the event such as fried foods and hot beverages. Furthermore the event may include promotional items such as toys, memorabilia and various keepsakes commemorating the event which must be transported as well as the food and beverage.
Prior art packaging for snacks have been devised to address some noted problems when transporting these items. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,774,468 issued on Dec. 18, 1956 to Ross and relates generally to packaging and is particularly directed to display type cartons for use in packaging articles of merchandise.
Miller is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,081 which issued on Jan. 3, 1989 and this patent relates to a one-piece paperboard container and closure member telescopically opens and closes and, in the process of opening, reveals hidden matter printed on the container body portion, the closure member automatically frictionally locking onto the container body portion in the closed position. A single paperboard blank has a first and second set of four serially connected rectangular panels, a corresponding set of connecting strips connecting the first and second set of panels and cooperating therewith to provide a top for the closure member and to provide telescopic movement of the closure member relative to the container body portion, a series of proportionately sized V-cuts between each of the first set of panels, just below and adjacent to the strips, and two pairs of converging cut score lines and a central perforated score line at non-adjacent corners of the constructed container body portion, the converging cut score lines having a predetermined height less than the height of the closure member.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,540 which issued on Nov. 11, 2003 to Jamitzky relates to packaging unit which comprises a receiving chamber for popcorn, or the like, the outside thereof having secured thereto a pocket into which a beverage cup is insertable such that said cup is seated in a clamp seat. The packaging unit can comfortably be carried by a user gripping around the pocket with one hand. If the packaging unit is made from a one-part blank, it can be produced and erected easily.
However sometimes there can be additional items that require transport as well as providing an easy setup of the tray or carton itself. Therefore to ensure that the various foods, beverages and other items are transported carefully and easily, one solution is to place them on a snack tray that can accommodate, contain and separate the various foods, beverages and other items into separate compartments.
Thus a collapsible automatic erecting compartmentalized carton which easily is constructed from a one piece blank, safely and effectively transports a wide variety of food, beverages and objects is desirable.
An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved carton for carrying various items, such as food and beverages.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a collapsible automatic erecting compartmentalized carton having a food receiving compartment; an item receiving compartment integral to a corner inside of the food receiving compartment, and a cylindrical beverage receiving compartment integrally mounted outside of the food receiving compartment. The food receiving compartment, the item receiving compartment and the beverage receiving compartment are formed from a one-piece blank and are the same height.
Conveniently, the food receiving compartment includes at least three panels adjacent to one another via fold lines wherein each panel has a top edge and the cylindrical beverage receiving compartment has at least four adjacent panels connected to one another via fold lines wherein each panel has a top and bottom edge.
Preferably, the item receiving compartment further comprises a series of cut-outs across the first corner of the food receiving compartment.
Advantages of the present invention are the ability to easily and safely carry a variety of items including snacks, popcorn, candy, chips or loose fill food items, various beverages, toys and other promotional items; a cylindrical-shaped beverage receiving compartment that extends the length of the food receiving compartment which allows for secure and stable transportation of either a hot or cold beverage without allowing the carton to keel over; the round opening of the cylindrical-shaped beverage receiving compartment allows for a different types of round containers to be carried; easy pop-up erection of the carton from a collapsed position by applying pressure to the sides of the collapsed carton; the item receiving compartment allows for a variety of other items to be carried by the patron namely toys, candy or other promotional items; and all the compartments are constructed from a one piece cardboard blank.
A detailed description of the preferred embodiment is provided herein below by way of example only and with reference to the following drawings, in which:
In the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.
Referring to
The food receiving compartment 12 includes at least three panels 22 adjacent to one another that are connected via fold lines 24. The series of panels 22 all have a top edge 26 that have the same height. Typically the collapsible automatic erecting compartmentalized carton 10 includes four panels 22 to form a four-sided structure such as a square or rectangle, though a three sided structure such as a triangle is also possible. Typically the width of the panels 22 are the same. The food receiving compartment 12 further includes a securing tab 13 which secures the food receiving compartment 12 to one of the panels 22 of the food receiving compartment 12 when constructed.
The food receiving compartment 12 also includes a bottom portion 28 that is comprised of a series of flaps 30 that can be trapezoidal in shape. The flaps 30 are connected to the panels 22 at a bottom edge 32 of the panels 22 via fold lines 34. The bottom portion 28 may also include at least one sealing flap (not shown) that is positioned across the bottom interior of the food receiving compartment 12. The bottom portion 28 may further include a fold line 36 positioned diagonally across the series of flaps 30 to allow the food receiving compartment 12 to be collapsed along the fold line 36.
The cylindrical beverage receiving compartment 18 further includes at least four adjacent panels 38 connected to one another via fold lines 40. Each panel 38 includes a top edge 42 and bottom edge 44. The top edge 42 and bottom edge 44 have straight edges. Typically the panels 38 are the same width. The panel 38 of the cylindrical beverage receiving compartment 18 is integrally mounted to a panel 22 of the food receiving compartment 12.
More specifically the food receiving compartment 12 further includes a second corner 40 of a panel 22 that adjacently connects to a panel 38 of the cylindrical beverage receiving compartment 18 thereby connecting the food receiving compartment 12 to the cylindrical beverage receiving compartment 18. Typically the cylindrical beverage receiving compartment includes ten panels 38 that articulate around the fold lines 40 and allow for the formation of the cylinder with a circular or round opening 52.
The item receiving compartment 14 further includes a series of cut-outs 42 across the first corner 16 of the food receiving compartment 12. The series of cut-outs 42 allow for the first corner 16 to be pushed in at a first point 44 and a second point 46. The engagement of the first point 44 provides an opening 48 to insert a promotional item into the item receiving compartment 14. The engagement of the second point 46 provides a supporting portion 50 or ledge that supports the promotional item once it is inserted into the opening 48.
In operation the collapsible automatic erecting compartmentalized carton is constructed from the one piece blank 60 illustrated in
The panels 38 of the cylindrical beverage receiving compartment 18 articulate around the fold lines 40 to form a cylinder with a round opening 52. A panel 38 is fastened to a portion of one of the panels 22 of the food receiving compartment 12 thereby securing the cylindrical beverage receiving compartment 18 to the food receiving compartment 12. Similar to the food receiving compartment 12, the cylindrical beverage receiving compartment 18 can easily collapse along the fold lines 40.
For erecting the compartmentalized carton 10 pressure is applied to the sides of the collapsed food receiving compartment 12 and the beverage receiving compartment 18. Both compartments pop up in a single motion. The item receiving compartment 16 is erected by applying pressure at both the first point 44 and the second point 46 so as to produce the opening 48 and the supporting portion 50 so as to receive and support a promotional item.
Other variations and modifications of the invention are possible. All such modifications or variations are believed to be within the sphere and scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.
