Envelopes – wrappers – and paperboard boxes – Paperboard box – Box material includes a coating or a nonpaperboard...
Patent
1996-02-23
1999-01-26
Elkins, Gary E.
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes
Paperboard box
Box material includes a coating or a nonpaperboard...
229 45, 229 55, 229400, B65D 328
Patent
active
058629777
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container for housing food and a tray using the container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, containers having a variety of shapes, sizes and materials have been used to contain various foods such as rice, side dishes and the like. One container of this kind, for example, is a container for carrying rice or a side dish, such as a lunch box, which is sold at stands of railway stations for tourists. The container needs to be sufficiently rigid to carry food. Thus many conventional food containers are shaped from materials such as wood, styro-foam, cardboard, etc. Typically, such food containers are used with lids conforming to their openings.
A food container manufactured to have rigidness or strength as a top priority is not easily crushed into a compact piece for disposal, which results in bulky garbage. Such garbage needs a large disposal space compared to compact garbage, which is undesirable in view of obvious environmental concerns.
Food containers formed of a material thinner than cardboard may have an improved crushability. However, such containers are subject to spilling due to the easy deformation of the material. Further, it is troublesome to reliably mount a lid on an opening that tends to deform.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a food container that can be crushed into a compact piece for disposal and further, one that has enough rigidity for a lid to be reliably mounted thereon and is easy to handle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a combination of a container body with an opening and a lid corresponding to the configuration of the opening of the container body. The container body is formed of a sheet material and comprises a bottom and a surrounding wall which protrudes upward from the periphery of the bottom. A plurality of folds are formed at least in part of the peripheral wall, at least part of which overlap with one another. A support portion is formed by rolling part of the surrounding wall at the periphery of the opening. The lid is removably mounted on the support portion.
Accordingly, a container is given enough strength for a lid to be reliably mounted on the container body even though the container can be crushed into a compact piece at the time of disposal and thus it is easy to handle .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features of the present invention that are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description of the presently preferred embodiments together with accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a container body and a lid within the present invention;
FIG. 2(a) is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view showing a rim portion of the container body, and FIGS. 2(b)-(d) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views respectively showing modified examples of the rim portion;
FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a lid mounted on the container rim;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a tray and cooperating containers;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a modification of the container body;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an additional modification of the container body;
FIGS. 7(a), (b) and (c) are bottom plan views respectively showing variations of the bottom of the container body;
FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view showing a modification of the tray;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a process in which a food item is separated from the container body; and
FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view showing another embodiment of the tray.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Several embodiments of a food container and a tray according to the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1-4.
FIG. 1 shows a container body 1 and a lid 11 compris
REFERENCES:
patent: 1310698 (1919-07-01), Hill
patent: 1864835 (1932-06-01), Lackner
patent: 2304278 (1942-12-01), Poster
patent: 2493086 (1950-01-01), Reifsnyder
patent: 2641402 (1953-06-01), Bruun
patent: 2967652 (1961-01-01), Canfield et al.
patent: 3833113 (1974-09-01), Osier
patent: 5339565 (1994-08-01), Weder et al.
Elkins Gary E.
Hirano Shiki Co., Ltd.
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