FOOD CARRIER

Abstract

A container including a compartment for holding food, such as pizza. The compartment has a bottom wall, side walls and a top wall defining an exterior surface and an interior surface. The compartment is formed of a single piece of paper. The single piece of paper has an outer planar layer, a middle fluted layer, a middle planar layer and an inner fluted layer all fixedly connected together. The outer planar layer forms the exterior surface of the compartment and the inner fluted layer forms the interior surface of the compartment such that the interior surface is fluted. Food can be placed on the bottom wall and on the inner fluted layer to allow moisture and grease to separate from the food.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to carriers, and more particularly to carriers for transporting food.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Restaurants have provided takeout and delivery food for their customers for a very long time. For the takeout and delivery food, the food is typically placed into a bag or a container for easy transport of the food. For example, the food was placed into a container formed by folding a blank (or a piece of paper) to form the container. The container was used to transport hot and/or cold food.

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art food container 10, with such prior art food container 10 in the illustrated example being configured to hold a round or rectangular pizza therein (e.g., during delivery). The prior art food container 10 includes a bottom portion 12 having a bottom wall 14, a front wall 16, side walls 18 and a rear wall 20. The prior art food container 10 also includes a top portion 22 having a top wall 24 hingedly connected to the rear wall 20 of the bottom portion 12 of the prior art food container 10. The top portion 22 can also include side walls 26 extending downwardly from edges of the top wall 24.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, the prior art food container 10 is made from a single piece of corrugated material and folded to form the prior art food container 10. Typically, some of the walls are formed by folding over portions of the piece of corrugated material such that the walls have a double thickness (e.g., the front wall 16 can be folded over to capture one of the side walls 18 therein, for example the front side wall 18, to keep the front wall 16 and the side walls 18 upright on the bottom wall 14). As illustrated in FIG. 2A, for the prior art food container 10, the piece of corrugated material was typically formed of an outer planar sheet 30 of thirty-one pound weight paper, an inner planar sheet 32 of twenty-six pound weight paper, and a middle fluted sheet 34 of twenty-three pound weight paper, with the middle fluted sheet 34 having a B-Flute (47 flutes per foot) or E-Flute (90 flutes per foot).

For approximately 10-15 years, when the prior art food container 10 was used to hold pizza, the prior art food container 10 included a ripple sheet 40 (FIGS. 1 and 2B) positioned on the bottom wall 14 of the bottom portion 12, with the ripple sheet 40 being located between the bottom wall 14 and the pizza. The ripple sheet 40 increased the stability of the prior art food container 10 and improved the taste of the pizza by allowing moisture and grease to separate from a crust of the pizza. The ripple sheet 40 included a top rippled layer 42 and a bottom flat layer 44. The top rippled layer 42 included a plurality of troughs for allowing the moisture and grease to separate from the crust of the pizza. The top rippled layer 42 was typically formed of twenty-three pound weight paper having a B-Flute or E--Flute configuration. The bottom flat layer 44 was formed of thirty-one pound weight planar paper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a food container comprising a compartment for holding food. The compartment has a bottom wall, side walls and a top wall which together define exterior and interior surfaces. The compartment is formed of a single piece of paper. The single piece of paper has an outer planar layer, a middle fluted layer, a middle planar layer and an inner fluted layer all fixedly connected together. The outer planar layer is fixedly connected to the middle fluted layer, the middle fluted layer is fixedly connected to the outer planar layer and the middle planar layer, the middle planar layer is fixedly connected to the middle fluted layer and the inner fluted layer, and the inner fluted layer is fixedly connected to the middle planar layer. The outer planar layer forms the exterior surface of the compartment and the inner fluted layer forms the interior surface of the compartment such that the interior surface is fluted. Food can be placed on the bottom wall and on the inner fluted layer to allow moisture and grease to separate from the food.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a pizza box comprising a compartment and a pizza having a crust within the compartment. The compartment has a bottom wall, side walls and a top wall defining an exterior surface and an interior surface. The compartment is formed of a single piece of material. The single piece of material has an outer planar layer, a middle fluted layer, a middle planar layer and an inner fluted layer all fixedly connected together. The outer planar layer being is connected to the middle fluted layer, the middle fluted layer is fixedly connected to the outer planar layer and the middle planar layer, the middle planar layer is fixedly connected to the middle fluted layer and the inner fluted layer, and the inner fluted layer is fixedly connected to the middle planar layer. The outer planar layer forms the exterior surface of the compartment and the inner fluted layer forms the interior surface of the compartment such that the interior surface is fluted. The pizza is placed on the bottom wall and on the inner fluted layer to allow moisture and grease to separate from the crust of the pizza.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a prior art food container.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the prior food container box taken along line IIA-IIA of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a prior art ripple sheet taken along line IIB-IIB of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a food container of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the food container of the present invention taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of description herein, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined herein. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless expressly stated otherwise.

FIG. 3 illustrates a food container 100 of the present invention. The food container 100 can be used to hold any food therein. For example, the food container 100 can be used to hold hot or cold sandwiches, pizzas, wraps or any other food ordered for takeout or delivery. The food container 100 can include a bottom portion 150 having a bottom wall 152, a front wall 154, side walls 156 and a rear wall 158. The food container 100 also includes a top portion 160 having a top wall 162 hingedly connected to the rear wall 158 of the bottom portion 150 of the food container 100. The top portion 160 can also include side walls 164 extending downwardly from edges of the top wall 162. While a particular shape of the food container 100 is described and shown, it is contemplated that the food container 100 can have any exterior and interior shape conforming to the food within the food container 100. It is further contemplated that the food container 100 could have a single or multiple movable side walls allowing access to the food in the food container 100 instead of a movable top portion or any other configuration for holding food.

The food container 100 of the present invention is formed from a single piece of corrugated material 102 folded to form the food container 100. The single piece of corrugated material 102 is formed of several layers of material (e.g., paper) integrally fixed together (e.g., by adhesive or sonic welding). It is contemplated that some of the walls of the food container 100 can be formed by folding over portions of the piece of corrugated material 102 such that the walls have a double thickness (e.g., the front wall 154 can be folded over to capture a portion of the side walls 156 therein to keep the front wall 154 and the side walls 156 upright on the bottom wall 152). The piece of corrugated material 102 (FIG. 4) includes an inside surface 110 and an outside surface 112. The inside surface 110 includes a plurality of flutes 114 and is configured to support food 116 thereon (shown as being pizza in FIG. 3). The flutes 114 on the inside surface 110 of the food container 100 of the present invention allow moisture and grease to separate from the food 116 to maintain the freshness of the food 116 within the food container 100. When the food 116 is a pizza, the bottom wall 152 and the top wall 162 have a much larger area than the front wall 154, the side walls 156 and the rear wall 158.

In the illustrated example, the single piece of corrugated material 102 includes an outer planar layer 120, a middle fluted layer 122, a middle planar layer 124 and an inner fluted layer 126 forming the flutes 114 all fixedly connected together. The outer planar layer 120, the middle fluted layer 122, the middle planar layer 124 and the inner fluted layer 126 could be formed from the same weight of paper, although it is contemplated that the layers could be formed of paper having a different weight. For example, the outer planar layer 120, the middle fluted layer 122, the middle planar layer 124 and the inner fluted layer 126 could be formed from 14-18 pound weight paper. It is contemplated that 16 pound paper could be used for each of the outer planar layer 120, the middle fluted layer 122, the middle planar layer 124 and the inner fluted layer 126. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the middle fluted layer 122 and the inner fluted layer 126 could have the same flute length or different flute lengths. For example, it is contemplated that the middle fluted layer 122 and the inner fluted layer 126 could each be of a B-Flute (47 flutes per foot), an E-Flute (90 flutes per foot) or an F-Flute (128 flutes per foot), or that the middle fluted layer 122 could be an F-Flute and the inner fluted layer 126 could be an E-Flute or the middle fluted layer 122 could be an E-Flute and the inner fluted layer 126 could be an B-Flute.

For the food container 100 of the present invention, it has been surprisingly found that the food container 100 is less expensive (as less overall paper is used), stronger and lighter than the prior food containers 10. Notably the food container 100 of the present invention has the advantages noted above without sacrificing any of the advantages of having a separate ripple sheet 40 as has been used for at least 10 years.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned embodiments without departing from the concepts of the present invention. For example, it is contemplated that the food container 100 could be formed from a single piece of plastic (or other material) instead of a single piece of paper. Moreover, it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered herein unless expressly stated otherwise.

Claims

1. A food container comprising: a compartment for holding food;the compartment having a bottom wall, side walls and a top wall defining an exterior surface and an interior surface;the compartment being formed of a single piece of paper;the single piece of paper having an outer planar layer, a middle fluted layer, a middle planar layer and an inner fluted layer all fixedly connected together;the outer planar layer being fixedly connected to the middle fluted layer, the middle fluted layer being fixedly connected to the outer planar layer and the middle planar layer, the middle planar layer being fixedly connected to the middle fluted layer and the inner fluted layer, and the inner fluted layer being fixedly connected to the middle planar layer; andthe outer planar layer forming the exterior surface of the compartment and the inner fluted layer forming the interior surface of the compartment such that the interior surface is fluted;wherein food can be placed on the bottom wall and on the inner fluted layer to allow moisture and grease to separate from the food.

2. The food container of claim 1, wherein: the outer planar layer, the middle fluted layer, the middle planar layer and the inner fluted layer are all formed of the same weight of paper.

3. The food container of claim 2, wherein: the outer planar layer, the middle fluted layer, the middle planar layer and the inner fluted layer are all formed of paper in the range of 14-18 pound weight paper.

4. The food container of claim 3, wherein: the outer planar layer, the middle fluted layer, the middle planar layer and the inner fluted layer are all formed of 16 pound weight paper.

5. The food container of claim 1, wherein: the middle fluted layer and the inner fluted layer each have a same number of flutes per foot.

6. The food container of claim 1, wherein: the middle fluted layer and the inner fluted layer have a different number of flutes per foot.

7. The food container of claim 6, wherein: the middle fluted layer has at least 90 flutes per foot and the inner fluted layer has less flutes per foot than the middle fluted layer.

8. The food container of claim 7, wherein: the middle fluted layer has at least 128 flutes per foot.

9. A pizza box comprising: a compartment and a pizza having a crust within the compartment;the compartment having a bottom wall, side walls and a top wall defining an exterior surface and an interior surface;the compartment being formed of a single piece of material;the single piece of material having an outer planar layer, a middle fluted layer, a middle planar layer and an inner fluted layer all fixedly connected together;the outer planar layer being fixedly connected to the middle fluted layer, the middle fluted layer being fixedly connected to the outer planar layer and the middle planar layer, the middle planar layer being fixedly connected to the middle fluted layer and the inner fluted layer, and the inner fluted layer being fixedly connected to the middle planar layer; andthe outer planar layer forming the exterior surface of the compartment and the inner fluted layer forming the interior surface of the compartment such that the interior surface is fluted;wherein the pizza is placed on the bottom wall and on the inner fluted layer to allow moisture and grease to separate from the crust of the pizza.

10. The pizza box of claim 9, wherein: each of the top wall and the bottom wall of the compartment have a greater area than any of the side walls of the compartment.

11. A wall construction for a food carrier comprising: a single piece of material having an outer planar layer, a middle fluted layer, a middle planar layer and an inner fluted layer all fixedly connected together;the outer planar layer being fixedly connected to the middle fluted layer, the middle fluted layer being fixedly connected to the outer planar layer and the middle planar layer, the middle planar layer being fixedly connected to the middle fluted layer and the inner fluted layer, and the inner fluted layer being fixedly connected to the middle planar layer.

12. The wall construction of claim 11, wherein: the outer planar layer, the middle fluted layer, the middle planar layer and the inner fluted layer are all formed of the same weight of paper.

13. The wall construction of claim 12, wherein: the outer planar layer, the middle fluted layer, the middle planar layer and the inner fluted layer are all formed of paper in the range of 14-18 pound weight paper.

14. The wall construction of claim 13, wherein: the outer planar layer, the middle fluted layer, the middle planar layer and the inner fluted layer are all formed of 16 pound weight paper.

15. The wall construction of claim 11, wherein: the middle fluted layer and the inner fluted layer each have a same number of flutes per foot.

16. The wall construction of claim 11, wherein: the middle fluted layer and the inner fluted layer have a different number of flutes per foot.

17. The wall construction of claim 16, wherein: the middle fluted layer has at least 90 flutes per foot and the inner fluted layer has less flutes per foot than the middle fluted layer.

18. The wall construction of claim 15, wherein: the middle fluted layer has at least 128 flutes per foot.