Supports: racks – Special article – Food
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-13
2001-08-14
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Special article
Food
C211S073000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273278
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a disposable holder for tacos and the like that is suitable for mass production and inclusion in packaging for retail food products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In providing a taco holder for inclusion in retail food product packaging, among the considerations that must be addressed are the ease of assembly and use by the consumer; the efficacy for holding multiple tacos and the like without spillage or breakage during filling and possibly heating; the ability to hold tacos and the like for individualized servings; and the ability of the holder to be efficiently packaged in a retail container. In addition, where a device of this type is intended for use in commercially packaged food products, it should be capable of economical manufacture and incorporation in packages, and should be compatible with high speed packaging lines.
A disadvantage with some holders which provide good structural integrity is that they are expensive to make and not easily collapsible to facilitate packaging in a retail container. Other holders which are inexpensive to make and easy to package may be difficult for the consumer to assemble.
In the past, much effort has been directed toward creating an inexpensive, disposable holder that is both structurally adequate and easy to package in a retail container. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,168 discloses a holder for multiple taco shells which is disposable, and can be maintained in a flat position prior to use. U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,010 discloses a taco tray which is made by converting the retail container that is used to package food items, such as taco shells.
A disadvantage of prior designs such as those disclosed in the '168 and '010 patents is the difficulty of assembling such units. The design disclosed in the '168 patent requires that in conjunction with forming several folds, several tabs and slots or glue strips must be employed in order to create the finished holder. The '010 patent requires that several perforated sections be removed from the box in order to form the taco holder. Additionally, once the taco holder of the '010 patent is assembled, the box is destroyed, and thus can no longer provide a means to store remaining unused product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a holder for tacos and the like which is structurally adequate to support tacos and the like in an upright position and which is also inexpensive to make, easy to assemble, and readily collapsible to facilitate its incorporation into a retail food package. The taco holder preferably comprises a base portion, a pair of side structures defining a plurality of upwardly opening slots for receiving tacos and the like, and at least one line of weakness situated between two of the slots, so that the holder is separable into two or more holders for individualized servings. Each of the slots has a base portion and a top portion, and is preferably curved at the base.
For incorporation into a retail meal kit, the holder may be preassembled and folded flat. The base of the taco holder may contain a line of weakness that provides a means for folding the base upward so that the holder may be maintained in a flat position prior to use. Alternatively, a flat unfolded blank may be provided in the meal kit, or a blank folded only along the top may be provided.
The assembled taco holder preferably has a generally triangular cross-section, comprising a bottom wall and a pair of upwardly convergent side walls joined along the top. The bottom wall may comprise a pair of overlapping members joined along a longitudinal seam. In one embodiment, the holder may be preassembled and folded in a flat configuration for inclusion in a meal kit, with the bottom wall folded on itself, so that the holder may be shifted to a use position simply by unfolding and flattening the bottom wall. In a second embodiment, one or more flat blanks may be provided in the meal kit and interlocking tabs and slots may be used to place each holder in position for use. In order to assemble the holder of the second embodiment, the user may fold a pair of base walls toward each other and insert the tabs into the slots.
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Bucher Anne
Enyedy Julie A. D.
Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc.
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