Envelopes – wrappers – and paperboard boxes – Paperboard box – Variable volume
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-13
2001-03-27
Elkins, Gary E. (Department: 3727)
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes
Paperboard box
Variable volume
C229S104000, C229S110000, C229S152000, C229S178000, C229S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206277
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cartons made of foldable material and, in particular, to paperboard boxes for food products such as pizza.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Each year millions of hot pizzas are sold for delivery and carry-out. The physical and perceived quality of those pizzas are, in large part, determined by the type of packaging used for transporting them.
Packaging-related problems pertaining to delivery/carry-out pizza include:
1) Pizza-sliding during transport, resulting in deformed pizza and slice separation;
2) Pizza deformation while sliding a cut pizza into the box and deformation of the side walls while cutting a pizza in the box;
3) Loss of heat by conduction from the box bottom into the customer's table top, resulting in “cold pizza;”
4) Condensation development on the customer's table in the area under the box, resulting in the bottom panel of the box absorbing the condensation and becoming soggy and imparting a “cardboard smell” to the pizza;
5) Downward warping of the box cover resulting in the cover contacting the pizza and cheese sticking to the cover;
6) Floppy box structure resulting in drooping of a loaded box and accidental cover opening.
Regarding problem #1, the best solution is to provide a pizza box with at least six sides and preferably eight sides. The prior art discloses various types of pizza boxes with six or more sides. Three of the most commonly used structures are disclosed by Zion et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,534 granted Aug. 23, 1988, Ritter U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,225 granted Nov. 29, 1994, and Philips et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,054 granted Dec. 30, 1997. Other prior art disclosing pertinent structure for boxes with six or more sides include Lund, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,234 granted Dec. 2, 1975, Deiger U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,374 granted Mar. 19, 1991, Philips U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,039 granted May 5, 1992, Barlow U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,537 granted Jun. 4, 1996, Correll U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,716 granted Dec. 24, 1996, and Correll U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,509 granted Feb. 3, 1998.
The optimal solution for reducing slice-sliding is an eight-sided box. However, an eight-sided box provides no square corner for packing extra items, such as a sauce cup or a pepperoncini, in with the pizza. Therefore, there remains a problem of how to contain a pizza on eight sides will providing a square corner for packing extra items. The prior art do not solve this problem but my invention does.
Regarding problems #2-5, the prior art do not solve those problems but, again, my invention does.
Regarding problem #6, some prior art provide for a rigid box structure, but most of those boxes require unusual or awkward folding methodology. My invention, on the other hand, provides for a rigid box while allowing for a folding technique similar to that employed for erecting a standard pizza box.
Three previous patents of mine—namely, U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,755 (Product-protecting Pizza Carton) granted Sep. 15, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,130 (Multi-function Pizza Carton) granted Nov. 10, 1998; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,948 (Expandable Pizza Box and Method of Use) granted Mar. 16, 1999—disclose inventive structure and methods for resolving some of the above problems and, thereby, provide means for enhancing the quality of delivery/carry-out pizza. This patent discloses further inventive structure and, in certain aspects, combines that new structure with the structure of those three prior patents to produce an even higher level of pizza quality enhancement.
So, there has remained a need for resolving the above-described quality-related problems. These problems have not been solved by the prior art but are solved by my invention(s). By solving these problems a pizza company can provide a higher-quality delivery/carry-out pizza.
OBJECT AND ADVANTAGES
Accordingly, the general object of my invention is a carton that provides a means of enhancing the real and perceived quality of delivery/carry-out pizza. More specifically, the object of my invention is a carton that does one or more of the following: (1) reduces slice sliding with eight-sided containment while providing a square corner for packing an extra item, (2) makes it easier to slide a cut pizza into the box, (3) makes it easier to cut a pizza inside the box, (4) reduces heat loss from conduction on a customer's table, (5) reduces the amount of condensation on a table top in the area below a loaded pizza box, (6) reduces the chance of the bottom panel of the box becoming soggy from absorbing condensation off a table top, (7) reduces the chance of the box cover warping downward into a pizza, and (8) provides a means for increasing box rigidity and reducing the chance of accidental cover opening.
The advantage of my invention is enhanced real and perceived quality of delivery/carry-out pizza and resulting increased customer satisfaction and sales.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, related drawings, and appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
My invention is a carton that can incorporate one or more of the following features:
1) An improved fall-back side wall structure comprising a side wall, a fall-back corner flap, and a verticalizing structure having a diagonal wall;
2) An improved corner wall structure comprising a diagonal wall and a plurality of hingedly connected connector panels, wherein at least one of the connector panels is disposed at an oblique angle to the bottom panel of the box;
3) One or more thermal-legs projecting downward from a rear wall on a box, the box having a straight front wall, first and second side walls adjacent the front wall, and first and second diagonal walls attached to the rear ends of the first and second side walls;
4) Cover anti-shift means comprising first and second tabs projecting inward from a top edge of a double-panel front wall structure and disposed adjacent the ends of a cover front flap.
Regarding feature #1, my U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,130 (Multi-function Pizza Carton) granted Nov. 10, 1998, discloses a type of fall-back side wall structure in combination with a V-wall structure. However, that patent does not disclose a fall-back side wall structure in combination with a conventional straight front wall structure, as provided by the instant invention. Also, my U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,948 (Expandable Pizza Box and Method of Use) granted Mar. 16, 1999, discloses a type of fall-back side wall structure having a single verticalizing flap attached to a rear end of a fall-back side wall. However, that patent does not disclose a verticalizing structure having a diagonal wall attached to the rear end of a side wall, as provided by the instant invention.
Regarding feature #2, my U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,755 (Product-protecting Pizza Carton) granted Sep. 15, 1998, discloses a corner wall structure having a plurality of hingedly connected connector panels where at least one of the connector panels is disposed at an oblique angle to the bottom panel of the box. However, that patent does not disclose a type of corner wall structure in combination with an end wall having an end edge disposed at an obtuse angle to a bottom edge of the wall, as provided by the instant invention. Further, patent '755 does not disclose a corner wall structure being hingedly connected to the bottom panel of the box, as provided by the instant invention. Finally, patent '755 does not disclose a blank having a second connector panel having a second connector edge disposed at an obtuse angle to a rear end edge of the bottom panel, as provided by the instant invention.
Regarding feature #3, my U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,130 (Multi-function Pizza Carton) and my patent application Ser. No. 09/061,302 (Designer Pizza Box with Enhancements) each disclose a box having a thermal-leg. However, neither discloses a thermal-leg projecting from a rear wall of a box having a straight front wall disposed parallel to the rear wall in combination with first and second side walls disposed adjacent the fron
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