CN117137239A

CN117137239A - Paperboard cutlery box

Info

Publication number: CN117137239A
Application number: CN202310576201.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 埃里克·英德克
Original assignee: Globosch Netherlands Private Ltd
Current assignee: Globosch Netherlands Private Ltd
Priority date: 2022-05-23
Filing date: 2023-05-22
Publication date: 2023-12-01
Also published as: WO2023227346A1; EP4282768A1

Abstract

A paperboard cutlery box comprising: a container for holding a meal formed by a base and a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the base; and a lid for closing the container, the lid having a rear edge hingedly connected to a first wall of the plurality of walls of the container, the lid including a skirt along a free edge thereof, the skirt extending downwardly from the free edge of the lid in a closed position of the lid; a second wall of the plurality of walls of the container includes a flap panel configured to fold inwardly relative to the container about a first fold line, and a tab-like cutout extending from the first fold line away from the flap panel, the flap panel and tab-like cutout being configured to pivot integrally about the first fold line such that the tab-like cutout pivots outwardly away from the second wall after the flap panel is folded inwardly from the second wall, the skirt of the cap including a locking strip secured in part to an inner surface of the skirt, a free edge of the locking strip not secured to the inner surface of the skirt forming a flange.

Description

Paperboard cutlery box

Technical Field

The invention relates to a paperboard cutlery box.

Background

Cardboard cutlery boxes are widely used to transport ready (hot) meals to customers. For example, take-away may be contained in a cardboard box, which may also be used on airlines to provide food to passengers and crewmembers. Depending on the type of meal provided in the paperboard cutlery box, the paperboard material may be impregnated or coated with a protective layer to reduce leakage. For example, a hot meal may contain liquid ingredients, such as oil, sauce, emulsion, which may leak through the paperboard material. The protective layer may be, for example, a polymeric coating. Although coatings and the like may prevent leakage through the material, leakage through the structure of the cardboard cutlery box may also occur. To this end, the cardboard box may be provided with a lid or lids. For example, a widely used design of such cutlery boxes is to have a base and four upstanding walls, wherein several of the walls are provided with folded sheets to form the top cover of the cutlery box. To prevent spillage, the flaps may be configured to engage one another to form a locking means to lock the lid of the cutlery box. However, such locking devices are known to be unreliable due to the resilient nature of the cardboard material. In particular, paperboard cutlery boxes are typically manufactured from a single blank cut from a sheet of paperboard material. The score, crease, and/or perforation allow the box to be folded to form a three-dimensional cutlery box from a two-dimensional blank. However, the resilient paperboard material has a tendency to revert to its planar, two-dimensional state. Thus, the folded pieces as the top cover are biased to their unfolded state. Several other options for a top cover are known in the art, such as a lid with a single hinge, a separate lid, etc. However, such covers may be untied and/or may introduce gaps or cracks or the like.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a paperboard cutlery box that reduces spillage, particularly of liquid or semi-liquid ingredients.

Thus, according to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cardboard cutlery box comprising: a container for holding a meal, the container being formed by a base and a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the base; and a lid for closing the container, the lid having a rear edge hingedly connected to a first wall of the plurality of walls of the container and comprising a skirt along a free edge thereof, wherein in a closed position of the lid the skirt extends downwardly from the free edge of the lid; wherein a second wall of the plurality of walls of the container comprises a flap panel configured to fold inwardly relative to the container about a first fold line, and a tab-like cut-out portion extending away from the flap panel from the first fold line, wherein the flap panel and the tab-like cut-out portion are configured to pivot integrally about the first fold line such that the tab-like cut-out portion pivots outwardly from the second wall away from the container after the flap panel is folded inwardly from the second wall; wherein the skirt of the cap comprises a locking strip which is partially secured to an inner surface of the skirt, wherein a free edge of the locking strip which is not secured to the inner surface of the skirt forms a flange, and wherein in the closed position of the cap the tab-like cut-out engages the flange to retain the cap in the closed position.

The engagement of the tab-like cut-out (also referred to as a tab) and the flange formed by the locking strip ensures that the preferably single-hinge lid is maintained in the closed position. It is important that the locking strip is partially, but not completely, secured to the inner surface of the skirt. Due to this feature, the free edge of the locking strip, which is not fixed to the inner surface, can be offset from the inner surface of the skirt. Thus, when the lid is moved to the closed position, the tab is in contact with the locking strip, preferably first with the portion of the locking strip secured to the skirt, and then through the locking strip. Since the locking bar can be deflected from the inner surface of the skirt, the locking bar moves under the tab as it passes over the locking bar so that the tab catches or locks onto the flange formed by the free edge of the locking bar.

In addition to forming a secure locking means, the combination of the flange and tab also enables a distinct click or rattle to be made as the tab passes over the flange. The force caused by the snap-in movement can also be felt by hand. Thus, thanks to these sensations, the user is made aware of the point at which the tab is stuck behind the flange, which enables the user to consistently and safely close the lid each time. This is particularly important when the user is an employee of the food provider (e.g., take away restaurant) because they must close many boxes each day. Thus, the clicking sound or sound and feel provides a reliable, consistent feedback to the user that the lid is locked in the closed position. The closing force may be adjusted by varying the width of the tab, measured in a direction perpendicular to the first fold line. In this case, the larger the depth means the larger the closing force. A larger closing force will generally produce a more loud click or snap.

Furthermore, as mentioned previously, paperboard flaps (e.g., flaps of the paperboard cutlery boxes of the present invention) have a tendency to return to their original position due to the resilient nature of the paperboard material. Thus, the folded sheet has a tendency to move upward to its unfolded state. This further mitigates potential spillage as the folded over tab moves upwardly to approach or contact the inner surface of the lid. The folded sheet thus forms a further barrier between the interior and the exterior of the container. Even if the upward spring force of the flap is relatively high, the lid will remain securely in the closed position due to the engagement of the tab and flange. In addition, the upward spring force of the flap(s) ensures that the tab and flange remain securely engaged, thereby preventing movement of the lid relative to the container. Thus, vibrations (e.g., flapping or rattling) of the cover are reduced.

Thus, the paperboard cutlery box of the first aspect of the invention is highly resistant to spillage of the ingredients of the cutlery. In particular, the paperboard cutlery box according to the first aspect is effective to mitigate spillage of the liquid or semi-liquid components it contains.

Preferably, in the cardboard box of the first aspect, the skirt and the locking strip are integrally manufactured and separated by a second fold line, the free edge of the locking strip being opposite the second fold line, wherein the locking strip is folded inwardly against the inner surface of the skirt before being partially secured to the inner surface of the skirt. Thus, proper placement of the locking strip inside the skirt is facilitated. In particular, the folding ensures that the position of the flange formed by the locking strip is consistent from box to box during the manufacture of the cardboard cutlery box. It is further preferred that the width of the locking strip is smaller than the width of the skirt such that the flange is formed at a distance from the lid. Preferably, the distance is at least the thickness of the paperboard material. Thus, a tab-like cut-out portion having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the cardboard material can be accommodated between the flange and the lid (in particular, the body portion of the lid, which may also be referred to as a cover portion covering the opening of the container). Optionally, the second fold line may include perforations to further ensure accurate folding during the manufacturing process of the cutlery box.

Preferably, in the paperboard cutlery box of the first aspect, a third wall of the plurality of walls adjacent to the second wall comprises a fold panel configured to fold inwardly relative to the container about a third fold line. In other words, the container may be provided with a plurality of flaps at its walls. It is not necessarily required that each wall comprising a folded sheet also comprises tab-like cut-outs. Thus, the wall may have one folded piece, but may not have a tab-like cut-out. The additional flaps further mitigate potential spillage as the flaps move upward to approach or contact the inner surface of the lid. It is further preferred that adjacent corners of the folded sheet of the second wall and the folded sheet of the third wall include interengaged retaining portions for retaining the folded sheet in the inwardly folded position. Optionally, each of the interengaged retaining portions is formed from two adjacent circular arcs forming the outer periphery of each of the adjacent corners, wherein preferably the two adjacent circular arcs have different radii of curvature. The interengaged retaining portions formed by two adjacent arcs may also be referred to as cloud-like corners. The cloud-like corners can provide an interlocking mechanism that minimizes open space between adjacent corners of the folded sheets of the second and third walls, thereby further mitigating spillage or leakage between two adjacent folded sheets. Furthermore, the engagement of the two cloud corners is order independent. For example, have an arc A ₁ And B ₁ Can be formed with a circular arc A ₂ And B ₂ Is joined by a second cloud corner. Arc A when the first and second cloud-like corners are joined ₁ Can be overlapped with arc A ₂ Upper, arc B ₂ Overlap in arc B ₁ On the contrary, vice versa. Thus, the user of the paperboard cutlery box does not need to be aware of the sequence in which the flaps must be folded inwardly, as the interengaging retaining portions of adjacent corners of adjacent flaps are configured to engage one another in a sequence-independent manner.

Preferably, in the paperboard cutlery box of the first aspect, the second wall comprises a plurality of tab-like cut-outs, and wherein, in the closed position of the lid, each of the plurality of tab-like cut-outs engages with the flange to retain the lid in the closed position. For example, the second wall may include two tab-like cut-outs such that the lid is properly aligned with the second wall by having two spaced apart engagement points. The second wall may naturally comprise more than two tab-like cut-outs, for example three or four or five tab-like cut-outs.

Preferably, in the paperboard cutlery box of the first aspect, each of the plurality of walls comprises a fold panel configured to fold inwardly relative to the container about a respective fold line, preferably in addition to the first wall. For example, a cardboard cutlery box may comprise four walls, namely a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls. In this case, the first wall is a rear wall to which the lid is hingedly attached, and the second wall is a front wall on which the tab-like cut-out is provided. Both side walls may then comprise folded sheets, with or without additional tab-like cut-outs. Thus, spillage on all walls is alleviated by having a barrier in the form of a folded sheet provided.

With respect to the cardboard cutlery box of the first aspect, it is noted that the tab-like cut-out preferably has a relatively small width, measured in a direction perpendicular to the first fold line. More specifically, the width is preferably selected such that when the tab-like cutout portion is pivoted outwardly from the second wall, the tab-like cutout portion leaves a hole sufficiently narrow to prevent liquid from escaping through the hole. In particular, by the surface tension of the cardboard material of the cutlery box, liquid is prevented from escaping through the narrow slits formed by it. Thus, the folded sheet may be provided in the design of the paperboard cutlery box, i.e. the blank, while maintaining the splash-proof properties of the cardboard cutlery box. Preferably, the tab-like cut-out portion has a width in the range of about 0.5mm to 1.5mm, more preferably in the range of about 0.5mm to 1.0mm, even more preferably a width of about 0.7mm.

Preferably, in the cardboard box of the first aspect, the width of the area of the locking strip secured to the inner surface of the skirt is less than the total width of the locking strip, preferably less than 80%, more preferably less than 60% and most preferably less than 50%, the total width of the locking strip being the dimension of the locking strip perpendicular to its free edge direction. Thus, the locking strip can be bent away from the skirt in an inward direction to form a flange.

Preferably, in the cardboard cutlery box of the first aspect, the length of the tab-like cut-out in the direction along the first fold line is between 5mm and 20mm, preferably between 10mm and 14mm, and most preferably about 12mm. These dimensions are effective to provide a secure locking action while reducing spillage of the cuts through the tab-like cut-outs.

Preferably, in the paperboard cutlery box of the first aspect, the cutlery box is manufactured from a single blank. This enables efficient mass production of the paperboard cutlery box.

Preferably, in the paperboard cutlery box of the first aspect, the paperboard material is a barrier paperboard, which may be defined as a liquid repellent material. An example of a barrier paperboard is a paperboard material that includes a leak-proof coating (e.g., a polymer coating). The coating prevents the paperboard material from wetting out over time when the paperboard is in contact with liquid or moisture. Preferably, the paperboard includes a non-polymeric barrier layer, such as a non-polymeric barrier coating.

Preferably, in the cardboard cutlery box of the first aspect, the locking strips are partially secured to the inner surface of the skirt by adhesive or ultrasonic welding. Bonding can be a cost-effective method of producing paperboard cutlery boxes. The ultrasonic welding can realize the accurate production of cutlery boxes in an automatic mode. For example, ultrasonic welding may require contacting a piece of polymer coated paperboard with an uncoated piece of paperboard and applying ultrasonic waves thereto. Ultrasonic welding may be aided by compressing the paperboard. Other methods for achieving ultrasonic welding known to those skilled in the art are also possible. Ultrasonic welding may also be used for non-polymeric barrier coatings.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a cardboard cutlery box comprising a container for holding food, the container being formed of a base and a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the base, wherein two adjacent walls of the plurality of walls each comprise a folded sheet configured to fold inwardly relative to the container about a fold line, wherein adjacent corners of the folded sheets of two adjacent walls comprise interengaged retaining portions for retaining the folded sheets in an inwardly folded position.

Preferably, in the paperboard cutlery box of the second aspect, each of the interengaged holding portions is formed of two adjacent circular arcs forming the outer periphery of each of the adjacent corners. It is further preferred that two adjacent circular arcs have different radii of curvature. The outer perimeter formed by adjacent arcs may be referred to as clouds. In this case, the interengaged holding portions may be referred to as cloud-like corners. The cloud-like corners can provide an interlocking mechanism that minimizes open space between adjacent corners of the folded sheets of the second and third walls, thereby further mitigating spillage or leakage between two adjacent folded sheets. Furthermore, the engagement of the two cloud corners is order independent. For example, have an arc A ₁ And B ₁ Can be formed with a circular arc A ₂ And B ₂ Is joined by a second cloud corner. When the first and second cloud-like corners are joined, arc A ₁ Can be overlapped with the arc A ₂ On, and arc B ₂ Overlap with arc B ₁ On the contrary, vice versa. Thus, the user of the paperboard cutlery box does not need to be aware of the sequence in which the flaps must be folded inwardly, as the interengaging retaining portions of adjacent corners of adjacent flaps are configured to engage one another in a sequence-independent manner.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a paperboard cutlery box comprising: a container for holding a meal formed by a base and a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the base; and a lid for closing the container, wherein the lid comprises a skirt along a free edge thereof, the skirt extending downwardly from the free edge of the lid in a closed position of the lid, wherein at least one of the plurality of walls of the container comprises a flap configured to fold inwardly relative to the container about a first fold line, and a tab-like cut-out extending away from the flap from the first fold line, wherein the flap and tab-like cut-out are configured to pivot integrally about the first fold line such that the tab-like cut-out pivots outwardly from the second wall away from the container after the flap is folded inwardly from the second wall; and wherein the skirt of the cap comprises a locking strip which is partially secured to an inner surface of the skirt, a free edge of the locking strip not secured to the inner surface of the skirt forming a flange, and wherein in the closed position of the cap the tab-like cut-out engages the flange to retain the cap in the closed position.

Preferably, at least two of the plurality of walls of the container comprise a folded sheet having tab-like cut-outs. In this case, the cover preferably comprises at least two locking strips for engagement with at least two walls, respectively.

Preferably, the container comprises four walls and each of the four walls comprises a folded sheet having tab-like cut-outs. In this case, the cover preferably comprises four locking bars for engagement with the four walls, respectively.

The paperboard cutlery boxes of the second and third aspects of the invention may have any of the preferred features of the paperboard cutlery boxes of the first aspect of the invention.

Drawings

The invention will be described hereinafter by way of illustrative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic plan view of a blank of an exemplary paperboard cutlery box;

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary paperboard cutlery box;

FIG. 3A depicts a perspective view of an exemplary paperboard cutlery box having a first joined configuration of inwardly folded flaps;

FIG. 3B depicts an enlarged view of a first engagement configuration of the inwardly folded flap of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A depicts a perspective view of an exemplary paperboard cutlery box having a second joined configuration of inwardly folded flaps; and

fig. 4B depicts an enlarged view of a second engagement configuration of the inwardly folded flap of fig. 4A.

Detailed Description

In fig. 1, a schematic plan view of a blank of an exemplary paperboard cutlery box 1 is shown. The entire cutlery box 1 may be constructed from a single blank as shown, wherein the solid lines represent the outer boundary and fold lines, the zigzag lines represent fold lines with intermittent perforations, and the shaded areas are the areas of the cutlery box 1 after construction, for example by adhesive or ultrasonic welding.

The cutlery box 1 comprises a lid portion 2 and a container portion 3. After the cutlery box 1 is constructed from the blank, the lid portion 2 forms the lid 2 and the container portion 3 forms the container for holding the cutlery. Preferably, the cutlery box 1 is made of cardboard, and more preferably of cardboard partly or entirely coated with polymer.

The cover 2 has a cover 20, the cover 20 covering a substantial part of the opening of the container 3 when the cover 2 is in its closed position. The cover 2 has a skirt 21 connected to the free edge of the cover 20. The skirt 21 is composed of three parts, a front skirt 210, a left skirt 211A and a right skirt 211B. The side skirts 211 (211A and 211B) each include a fastening flap 2110 for fastening the side skirt 211 to the front skirt 210. The front skirt 210 includes a main body 2100 and a locking bar 4 connected to a free end of the main body 2100. The side skirt 211 also has a fold line 2111 which allows the skirt 21 to fold inwardly to flatten the cap 2 for shipping. For example, flattening the lid 2 can make the lid 2 more compact to improve nesting and storage of multiple cutlery boxes prior to use. In addition, fold line 2111 provides some flexibility to skirt 21.

The locking strip 4 has a fixed region 40 and a non-fixed region 41. The locking strip 4 may be folded along its fold line 42 so that the locking strip 4 can be folded over the top of the body portion 2100 of the front skirt 210. Specifically, the locking strip 4 may be folded to the inner surface of the body portion 2100 of the front skirt 210, which is the surface visible in fig. 1. The fold line 42 of the locking bar 4 comprises a perforation section 420, which perforation section 420 forces the locking bar 4 to fold around its fold line 42 in an accurate position, thereby ensuring a more accurate folding, in particular at the location of the perforation section 420, which is useful for the locking mechanism, as will be explained further below.

The preferred construction sequence of the skirt 21 is that the left and right skirt 211A, 211B are folded so that they are substantially perpendicular to the cover 20, after which the fastening folds 2110 of the side skirt 211 are folded so that they are substantially perpendicular to the side skirt 211 and point towards each other. Front skirt 210 is then folded so that it is generally perpendicular to cover 20, and so that body portion 2100 of front skirt 210 contacts fastening flaps 2110 of side skirt 211. The locking strip 4 is then folded inwardly so that it partially covers the fastening tabs 2110 of the side skirt 211. Thus, the fastening tabs 2110 are sandwiched between the locking strips 44 and the body portion 2100 of the front skirt 210. Then, the above-described fixing region 40 (hatched region of the locking bar 4) is fixed to the fastening folded sheet 2110 and the main body portion 2100 of the front skirt 210 to fix the left side skirt 211A, the right side skirt 211B, the front skirt 21 and the locking bar 4 at their desired positions at the same time, thereby forming the skirt 21. Thus, the skirt 21 extends as a whole from the free edge of the cover 20 and is substantially perpendicular to the free edge (in the example of fig. 1, directed out of the sheet). Due to this configuration, the skirt 21 also increases the structural rigidity of the cap 2 (e.g., makes it inflexible).

Note that the non-fixed region 41 of the lock bar 4 is not fixed to the main body 2100 and the fastening flap 2110. The free end of the non-fixed area 41 forms a flange 410 for the locking mechanism of the cutlery box 1. Tension in the material of the fastening flap 4 due to the combination of the securing region 40 with the body portion 2100 and the fastening flap 2110, and/or the thickness of the fastening flap 2110, biases the non-securing region 41 and its flange 410 outwardly and away from the body portion 2100 of the front skirt 210. In other words, a distance is formed between the flange 410 and the body portion 2100 of the front skirt 210.

The container portion 3 has a base 30, a front wall 31, a rear wall 32, and two side walls 33 (a left side wall 33A and a right side wall 33B). The lid 2 is hingedly connected to the container portion 3 by a hinge 5, the hinge 5 being formed by a fold line between the cover portion 20 and the rear wall 32 of the container portion 3. Each side wall 33 includes a side cover flap 330 with a perforation fold line 3300 at its top edge. Front wall 31 includes a front cover flap 310 at its top edge. The front cover flap 310 has a perforation fold line 3100 and a tab shaped cut-out portion 311. Tab shaped cut 311 is shown by solid lines, the cut being actually cut along the solid lines. As shown in fig. 1, tab-shaped cut-out portions 311 (also referred to as tabs 311 or locking tabs 311) are formed away from the front cover flap panel 310 and thus protrude in the material of the front wall 31. The cutout forming the tab-shaped cutout portion 311 is formed such that the tab 311 protrudes outward from the container portion 3, particularly from the front wall 31, when the front cover folding piece 310 is folded inward from the top edge of the front wall 31 toward the container portion 3. Additionally or alternatively, tab shaped cut-out portions 311 may also be provided in the side cover flap 330.

When the lid 2 is closed on top of the container 3 by hinging the lid about the hinge 5, the tab 311 may lock behind the flange 410 of the locking strip 4. As described above, flange 410 is offset from body portion 2100 of front skirt 210. In other words, in the closed position of the lid 2, the flange 410 is biased inwardly towards the container 3. Thus, when the lid 2 is closed, the tab 311 is in contact with the flange 410, in which case the flange 410 is biased against the tab 311 until the tab 311 moves past the flange 410. When the tab 311 moves past the flange 410, the flange 410 is pressed against the outer surface of the front wall 31 of the container 3 due to its bias. The action may provide an audible click when flange 410 slides from tab 311 and snaps over front wall 31. At this time, since the tab 311 is located at the top of the flange 410 and blocks upward movement of the flange 410 and the cap 2, the flange 410 effectively locks the cap 2. The tab shaped cutout portion 311 has a smooth S-shaped angle with a relatively large radius of curvature, which prevents the tab 311 from being torn when force is applied to the tab 311, which ensures that the lid 2 is suitable for multiple uses (i.e., multiple opening and closing operations). For example, if the angle of the tab 311 is 90 degrees, pulling on the tab 311 may easily cause the tab 311 to tear inwardly in the front cover flap 310. Thus, the S-shaped angle increases the life of the cutlery box 1, making its locking mechanism suitable for multiple uses. This is useful, for example, in the aeronautics industry, to provide meals in flight of an aircraft, and for safety reasons (preventing spillage during handling/transport) to provide food with the lid 2 closed, and to intermittently open and close the lid 2 when a customer wants to eat a portion of the food in the container 3. In this case, the customer on board the aircraft can also take his/her meal provided on board the aircraft out of the aircraft for later consumption, thereby reducing waste. Other examples of related industries may include active restaurants, fast food and take-away restaurants, leftovers ("packaging bags"), and the like.

As shown by the two dashed lines in fig. 1, each tab shaped cutout portion 311 is aligned with a respective one of the perforation sections 420 of the fold line 42 of the locking strip 4. That is, the folding of the locking strip 4 at the junction of the flange 410 and the tab 311 needs to be accurate and reliable. The reason is that the width of the locking bar 4 (measured in the y-direction) is slightly smaller than the width of the body portion 2100 of the front skirt 210, so that a sufficient space is provided between the flange 410 and the cover 20 so that the tab 311 can be fitted between the flange 41 and the cover 20. If the folding of the tab 311 at the junction with the flange 410 is inconsistent and inaccurate, the situation where the flange 410 contacts the cover 20 may increase. This is to be alleviated because when the flange 410 contacts the cover 20, the flange 410 may become stuck (without deviating from the skirt 21) and/or there may be insufficient room for the tab 311 to lock behind the flange 410 (i.e., at the top of the flange 410).

The front wall 31 and the rear wall 32 are connected to the side wall 33 by a wall fixing portion 34 (hatched area 34) and a supporting portion 35. The preferred construction sequence of the container 3 is that after the visible surface of the wall fixing portion 34 connected to the rear wall 32 (i.e. the surface visible in fig. 1) is in contact with the outer surface of the side wall 33 (the surface facing outwards from the container 3 in its assembled state), the visible surface of the wall fixing portion 34 connected to the front wall 31 is in contact with the outer surface of the side wall 33. Then, each of the above-described wall fixing portions 34 (hatched (or hatched) areas of the wall fixing portions 34) is fixed to the outer surfaces of the respective side walls 33A, 33B and the supporting portions 35, and the outer surfaces of the side walls 33A, 33B and the supporting portions 35 are also folded over the outer surface of the container 3. The support 35 prevents tearing of the blank of the cutlery box 1 and provides additional rigidity and leakage protection.

Further, the front cover folding piece 310 and the side cover folding piece 330 (also referred to as inward folding pieces) include holding portions 6 that are engaged with each other, the holding portions 6 being formed at free corners of the front cover folding piece 310 and free corners of each side cover folding piece 330 adjacent to the front cover folding piece 31. As further explained below, the interengaged retention portions 6 of the front cover flap 310 and the side cover flap 330 are configured to engage one another to retain the front cover flap 310, the side cover flap 330 in a closed position, wherein the closed position is a position in which the flaps 310, 330 are folded inwardly toward the interior of the container 3. The interengaged retaining portions 6 will be described in further detail below.

Fig. 2 shows an exemplary cardboard cutlery box 1 in an assembled state. As described above, the cutlery box 1 may be assembled from blanks as in fig. 1. The base 30, front wall 31, rear wall 32 and side walls 33 of the container 3 define an internal volume V for containing the food product. Preferably, the cardboard cutlery box 1 is at least partially or fully coated and/or impregnated with a water/moisture resistant coating, such as a polymer coating. The internal volume V of the box is thus for example suitable for hot meals containing liquid components, such as oils, sauces, emulsions, which are prevented from leaking or wetting the material of the cutlery box 1.

In particular, fig. 2 shows the ready state of the cutlery box 1. In the ready state, the cutlery box 1 is ready to contain food in its inner volume V. This means that the front cover flap 310 and the side cover flap 330 are in an upright position and the cover 2 is in its open position. After placing the food in the container 3, the front cover flap 310, the side cover flap 330 may be folded inwardly towards the volume V and the cover 2 may be closed by rotating the cover 2 about the rotation axis R formed by the hinge 5.

After the cutlery box 1 is closed, the front cover folding tab 310, the side cover folding tab 330, the container 3 and the cover 2 cooperate together to prevent the cutlery box 1 from spilling over the food when handled or transported. Since the front cover flaps 310, side cover flaps 330 are initially manufactured from a blank (e.g., fig. 1), and the paperboard material is generally resilient, the front cover flaps 310, side cover flaps 330 tend toward their upright position, as shown in fig. 2. Accordingly, when the cover 2 is closed, the front cover folding piece 310, the side cover folding piece 330 are pressed against by the cover portion 20 of the cover 2, thereby forming an additional barrier against the overflow of the food contained in the volume V. In other words, the front cover flap 310, the side cover flap 330 and the cover portion 20 of the cover 2 prevent food (particularly, liquid components thereof) from leaking out of the cutlery box 1. Further, in the closed position of the lid 2, the tab shaped cutout portion 311 engages with the flange 410 of the skirt 21 of the lid 2 to hold the lid 2 in the closed position. This prevents the lid 2 from opening during handling or transport. The tab shaped cutout portion 311 is relatively thin (as measured in the y-direction in fig. 1) such that when the tab 311 protrudes outwardly (i.e., when the front cover flap panel 310 is folded inwardly), the tab 311 creates only a very thin opening in the front wall 31 that is thin enough to prevent the liquid component of the food from escaping the interior volume V.

The front cover flap 310, the side cover flap 330 include interengaged retention portions 6 so that the front cover flap 310 and the side cover flap 330 can engage one another to retain them substantially in their inwardly folded positions. The interengaged retaining portions 6 may be cloud-like corner portions 6. The cloud-like corners 6 are formed by two adjacent circular arcs 60, 61 forming a cloud-like outer periphery of the corners 6. Preferably, the radius of curvature of the first circular arc 60 is smaller than the radius of curvature of the second circular arc 61. When the two cloud corners 6 are engaged with each other, the first arc 60 of one cover flap overlaps the first arc 60 of the other cover flap and the second arc 61 of the other cover flap overlaps the second arc 61 of the aforementioned one cover flap, as shown in fig. 3 and 4.

As shown in fig. 2, the cloud corners 6 of the front cover flaps 310, side cover flaps 330 are advantageous in that they can be engaged in a sequence independent manner. This means that the engagement of the corner 6 of the front cover flap and the side cover flap can be successfully achieved whether the front cover flap 310 is folded inwardly before the side cover flap 330 is folded inwardly or vice versa. This is illustrated by figures 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B.

Another benefit of the cloud-like corners 6 is that when two such corners 6 are engaged, the gap between them is minimized due to their shape (as shown in the enlarged views of fig. 3B and 4B). This reduces leakage of liquid components through between the front cover flap 310, the side cover flap 330. Furthermore, the leak-proof shape of the corner 6 cooperates with the action of the front cover flaps 310, 330, the front cover flaps 310, 330 having elastic properties and thus contacting the cover 20 of the lid 2, which in turn results in an additional barrier between the container 3 and the lid 2, which further alleviates spillage of the liquid component and pushes the lid 2 further slightly upwards to ensure a direct engagement between the tab 311 and the flange 410, thereby alleviating vibrations (e.g. flapping or rattling) of the lid 2 relative to the container 3.

Fig. 3A and 3B show the same cutlery box 1 as in fig. 4A and 4B. In fig. 3A and 4A, as described above, front cover flap 310, side cover flap 330 are folded inwardly to form a barrier to liquid ingredients from escaping the volume V of cutlery box 1. The order of the cloud corners 6 of the front cover flaps 310 and side cover flaps 330 is different between fig. 3A and 4A.

Fig. 3B shows an enlarged view (detailed view) of the engagement of the corner 6 of the front cover flap 310 and the side cover flap 330 of fig. 3A, and fig. 4B shows an enlarged view (detailed view) of the engagement of the corner 6 of the front cover flap 310 and the side cover flap 330 of fig. 4A.

The cloud corners 6 of the front cover flap 310 will be referred to as corners 6A and the cloud corners 6 in the side cover flap 310 will be referred to as corners 6B. In fig. 3B, it can be seen that a first arc 60A of corner 6A overlaps a first arc 60B (not visible) of corner 6B, and a second arc 61B of corner 6B overlaps a second arc 61A (not visible) of corner 6A. In fig. 4B, the situation is reversed, wherein it can be seen that a first arc 60B of corner 6B overlaps a first arc 60A (not visible) of corner 6A, and a second arc 61A in corner 6A overlaps a second arc 61B (not visible) of corner 6B. Both conditions as shown in fig. 3B and 4B provide secure engagement of the front cover flap 310 with the side cover flap 330. Accordingly, the person who operates the cutlery box 1 does not have to take care of the order in which the front cover folding flap 310, the side cover folding flap 330 are folded inwards, thereby reducing erroneous operation of the cutlery box 1. Further, the inward folding of the front cover folding tab 310 automatically expands the tab 311 so that a person operating the cutlery box 1 can close the cover 2 immediately after the front cover folding tab 310, the side cover folding tab 330 are folded inward, and then the cover 2 will be securely locked by the locking mechanism of the cutlery box 1 formed substantially by the tab 311 and the flange 410 as described above. In addition, the inwardly folded front cover flap 310, side cover flap 330 also increases the structural rigidity of the container 3 (e.g., makes the container 3 inflexible).

The exemplary cardboard cutlery box 1 described with reference to the drawings thus provides a leak-proof and easy to handle cutlery box system suitable for mass production and handling in demanding, high pressure, time sensitive situations, such as in the aeronautical industry, e.g. in an aircraft, or in the snack and delivery industries etc. for providing meals. Other industries may also benefit from the above-described features of cutlery box 1 described herein.

The above-described embodiments or examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A paperboard cutlery box comprising:

a container for holding a meal, the container being formed by a base and a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the base; and

a lid for closing the container, a rear edge of the lid being hingedly connected to a first wall of the plurality of walls of the container and the lid comprising a skirt along a free edge thereof, wherein in a closed position of the lid the skirt extends downwardly from the free edge of the lid;

wherein a second wall of the plurality of walls of the container comprises a flap panel configured to fold inwardly relative to the container about a first fold line, and a tab-like cutout portion extending from the first fold line away from the flap panel, wherein the flap panel and tab-like cutout portion are configured to pivot integrally about the first fold line such that the tab-like cutout portion pivots outwardly from the second wall away from the container after the flap panel is folded inwardly from the second wall;

wherein the skirt of the cap comprises a locking strip which is partially secured to an inner surface of the skirt, wherein a free edge of the locking strip which is not secured to the inner surface of the skirt forms a flange, and wherein in a closed position of the cap the tab-like cut-out engages with the flange to retain the cap in the closed position.

2. The paperboard cutlery box of claim 1, wherein the skirt and locking bar are integrally manufactured and separated by a second fold line, a free edge of the locking bar being opposite the second fold line, wherein the locking bar is folded inwardly against an inner surface of the skirt prior to being partially secured to the inner surface of the skirt.

3. The paperboard cutlery box of claim 2, wherein the locking bar has a width less than a width of the skirt such that the flange is formed at a distance from the lid.

4. A cardboard cutlery box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a third wall of the plurality of walls adjacent the second wall comprises a fold panel configured to fold inwardly relative to the container about a third fold line.

5. The paperboard cutlery box of claim 4, wherein adjacent corners of the folded flap of the second wall and the folded flap of the third wall include interengaged retainers for retaining the folded flaps in an inwardly folded position.

6. The paperboard cutlery box of claim 5, wherein each of the interengaged retainers is formed by two adjacent arcs of a circle, two adjacent arcs of a circle forming the outer periphery of each of the adjacent corners.

7. The paperboard cutlery box of claim 6, wherein the two adjacent arcs have different radii of curvature.

8. A cardboard cutlery box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second wall comprises a plurality of tab-like cut-outs, and wherein in the closed position of the lid, each of the plurality of tab-like cut-outs engages with the flange to retain the lid in the closed position.

9. A cardboard cutlery box as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each of the plurality of walls, except for the first wall, comprises a folded sheet configured to fold inwardly relative to the container about a respective fold line.

10. A cardboard cutlery box as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the width of the area of the locking strip secured to the inner surface of the skirt is less than the total width of the locking strip, preferably less than 80%, more preferably less than 60% and most preferably less than 50% of the total width of the locking strip, the total width of the locking strip being the dimension of the locking strip in a direction perpendicular to its free edge.

11. A cardboard cutlery box as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the tab-like cut-out is between 5mm and 20mm in length in the direction along the first fold line, preferably between 10mm and 14mm, and most preferably about 12mm.

12. A cardboard cutlery box as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the tab-like cut-out has a width in a direction perpendicular to the first fold line of between 0.5mm and 1.5mm, preferably between 0.5mm and 1.0mm, and even more preferably the width is about 0.7mm.

13. A paperboard cutlery box according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cutlery box is manufactured from a single blank.

14. A cardboard cutlery box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the cardboard material comprises a leakproof coating, such as a polymeric coating.

15. A cardboard cutlery box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the locking strips are partially secured to the inner surface of the skirt by adhesive or ultrasonic welding.