EP3772468B1

EP3772468B1 - Container for transporting food

Info

Publication number: EP3772468B1
Application number: EP20181140.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rino Oscar Zeli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-08-08
Filing date: 2020-06-19
Publication date: 2022-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 2040-06-19
Also published as: EP3772468A1; IT201900014253A1

Description

Field of the Art

The present invention relates to a container for transporting foods.
More in particular, the present invention relates to a container in the form of a cardboard box for transporting hot foods, e.g., pizzas.
The present invention finds particular application in the field of home food delivery.

Background Art

There are several types of containers for food delivery. Among these, containers are known in particular for transporting hot foods, such as pizzas. Such containers are typically cardboard boxes comprising a bottom wall, side walls and a lid and are typically made in a single piece, by folding and interlocking a single suitably shaped cardboard sheet.
Cardboard boxes have drawbacks when used to transport hot foods which emit vapours. In fact in these cases, the emitted vapour causes the formation of condensation, which has a negative impact on the quality of the food contained in the box. For example, if the box contains a pizza, it will lose the aroma thereof due to condensation, becoming moister and softer than a pizza not transported in the box.
To overcome these drawbacks, some known cardboard boxes comprise openings obtained in the lid and/or in the side walls, which are intended to allow the partial outflow of the condensation which forms inside the boxes, see for example DE 10 2014 116131 A1 and WO 93/19989 A1 . Another type of box is known from US 3 973 721 A .
However, boxes of this type are not suitable for solving the problem of condensation if the openings are obstructed during transport. This occurs, for example, when multiple boxes are stacked on top of one another, so that the openings obtained in the lid of one box are obstructed by the bottom wall of the box placed above, or when the boxes are transported inside bags or other containers which, adhering against the side walls and/or lids of the box, cause the occlusion of the openings obtained therein.
The known boxes provided with openings are also not suitable for solving the problem of condensation when transported in airtight thermal bags. These bags, used to limit the cooling of food, eliminate or greatly reduce the exchange of air with the outside, thus not allowing sufficient ventilation through the openings of the box, whose functionality is effectively nullified.
An object of the present invention is to provide containers for transporting hot foods which overcome the drawbacks of the known type of boxes related to the formation of condensation.
These and other objects are obtained with the container for transporting foods as claimed in the appended claims.

Description of the Invention

A container for transporting foods according to the invention is a container comprising a plurality of walls which identify a chamber, inside the container, adapted to contain the food to be transported. The walls of the container are made of material able to absorb water (water-absorbent), more precisely made of a cellulose-based material such as paper or cardboard. The aforesaid material comprises a first layer, facing the chamber of the container, a second layer, facing the outside of the container, and an intermediate layer, arranged between the first layer and the second layer and comprising a gap. The gap is divided into a plurality of sectors or compartments.
In at least one of the walls of the container a plurality of holes are obtained which cross at least the first layer of the aforesaid material. Such holes are adapted to put the chamber of the container in communication with at least one part of the gap. According to the invention, the holes do not cross the second layer of the aforesaid material. Furthermore, preferably, the holes have a size between 0.2 and 10 mm, more preferably between 0.2 and 5 mm, even more preferably 1 mm; such size is, for example, the diameter of the holes, if the holes are circular in shape, or the diameter of a circumference inscribed in the holes, if the holes are non-circular in shape, e.g., square, rectangular or other irregular shape.
In accordance with the invention, the material of which the walls are made is corrugated cardboard, in which the first layer is a first flat sheet of paper, the second layer is a second flat sheet of paper, and the intermediate layer is a corrugated layer of paper comprising a plurality of ridges alternating with valleys. In particular, the ridges of the corrugated sheet are proximal to the first flat sheet of paper and the valleys are proximal to the second flat sheet of paper.
The gap of the intermediate layer comprises a plurality of channels. In particular, there are first channels delimited by a portion of corrugated sheet comprised between two consecutive ridges and by a portion of first flat sheet delimited by the two aforesaid consecutive ridges, and second channels delimited by a portion of corrugated sheet comprised between two consecutive valleys and by a portion of second flat sheet delimited by the two aforesaid consecutive valleys.
Furthermore, the holes comprise first holes and second holes. The first holes are obtained in the first flat sheet of paper at respective ridges of the corrugated sheet and also cross the aforesaid respective ridges of the corrugated sheet so as to put the chamber in communication with the second channels described above. The second holes are instead obtained in the first flat sheet of paper at respective valleys of the corrugated sheet, so as to put the chamber in communication with the first channels. Preferably, the holes further comprise holes obtained in the corrugated layer, between a ridge and a subsequent valley, so as to put two contiguous channels in communication.
Preferably, the container according to the invention is a foldable box. According to the invention the container is parallelepiped-shaped and comprises a base wall, four side walls and an upper wall (or lid).
Preferably, the holes are present in the base wall and in the upper wall. Furthermore, the holes are preferably arranged on a circular portion of the base wall and the upper wall.

Brief Description of the Figures

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments given by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying figures, in which elements indicated by the same or similar numerical reference indicate elements having the same or similar functionality and construction and in which:

figure 1 is a plan view of a container for transporting foods according to the present invention, in unfolded configuration;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 1, in folded configuration;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a detail of a wall of a container for transporting foods according to the present invention.

Description of some Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a container 10 for transporting foods according to an embodiment of the present invention is a foldable box comprising a bottom wall 11, side walls 12a-d, and an upper wall (or lid) 13. Such elements - shown in Figure 1 in unfolded configuration - are configured to be folded and interlocked together, in a known manner, so as to form a parallelepiped-shaped box - shown in Figure 2 - delimiting therein a chamber 14 adapted to contain the food to be transported.
With reference to Figure 3, the container 10 according to the invention is made of corrugated cardboard, which comprises, in known manner, a first flat sheet of paper 15 and a second flat sheet of paper 16 between which a corrugated sheet of paper 17 is interposed. The corrugations of the corrugated sheet 17 define a plurality of ridges 17a and valleys 17b. At the ridges 17a and valleys 17b the corrugated sheet 17 is suitably glued to the flat sheets 15, 16 so as to form a plurality of first channels 18a and second channels 18b. The first channels 18a are delimited by a portion of corrugated sheet 17 comprised between two consecutive ridges 17a and by a portion of first flat sheet 15 delimited by the aforesaid two ridges 17a. The second channels 18b are delimited by a portion of corrugated sheet 17 comprised between two consecutive valleys 17b and by a portion of second flat sheet 16 delimited by the aforesaid two valleys 17b.
By convention, in the present description, the first flat sheet 15 is the sheet of the walls 11, 12a-d, 13 facing the inside the container 10, i.e., towards the chamber 14 of the container 10, while the second flat sheet 16 is the sheet of the walls 11, 12a-d, 13 facing the outside of the container 10. Furthermore, as already highlighted, the ridges 17a of the corrugated sheet 17 are in contact with the first flat sheet 15 and glued thereto, while the valleys 17b are in contact with the second flat sheet 16 and glued thereto.
In accordance with the invention, the container comprises a plurality of holes 20. Such holes 20 are obtained in the first flat sheet 15, at a ridge 17a or at a valley 17b of the underlying corrugated sheet 17, and are indicated in Figure 3 with the reference numbers 20a and 20b respectively. The holes 20a, i.e., those obtained at a ridge 17a, also cross the aforesaid ridge 17a. In accordance with the invention, it is not however provided that the holes 20 also cross the second flat sheet 16.
The holes 20 as described above put the chamber 14 of the container 10 in communication with the channels 18a, 18b. In particular, the holes 20a put the chamber 14 in communication with the second channels 18b while the holes 20b put the chamber 14 in communication with the first channels 18a.
The holes 20 further comprise, preferably, further holes 20c in the corrugated layer 17, adapted to put two contiguous channels 18a and 18b in communication.
The holes 20 allow the condensation to enter the channels 18a, 18b of the walls of the container 10. This advantageously increases the paper surface which comes into contact with the condensation, so that a greater amount of condensation can be absorbed by the paper itself. This is advantageous as there is a decrease in the amount of condensation which comes into contact with the food.
In addition, thanks to the holes 20, the channels 18a, 18b receive hot air from the chamber 14 in which the hot food is contained, thereby becoming hot air cushions which limit the loss of heat by the food.
The holes 20 also allow for a better distribution of the heat, which propagates from the point where the food is rested on the box towards the channels 18a, 18b. Since the condensation forms due to the large difference in temperature between the hot food and the container at room temperature, the diffuse heating of the container, thanks to holes and channels, allows the phenomenon of condensation formation to be reduced.
The holes 20 preferably have a size between 0.2 and 10 mm, more preferably between 0.2 and 5 mm, even more preferably 1 mm. Such size is, for example, the diameter of the holes, if the holes are circular in shape, or the diameter of a circumference inscribed in the holes, if the holes are non-circular in shape, e.g., square, rectangular or other irregular shape. Holes of such a small size allow to avoid compromising the solidity of the corrugated cardboard of which the walls 11, 12a-d, 13 of the container 10 are made.
The holes 20 are present in at least the bottom wall of the container, preferably in the bottom wall 11 and the upper wall 13. However, they may also be present in the side walls 12a-d.
Furthermore, the holes 20 are preferably arranged only on portions of the walls of the container 10; for example, as shown in Figure 1, they may be arranged on a circular portion of the base wall 11 and the upper wall 13. In the case of transport of pizzas, this circular portion has the closest contact with the pizza itself, advantageously facilitating the dispersion and absorption of the condensation in the channels.
Depending on the food to be transported, the holes may be arranged on portions of walls of different extension and shape. Furthermore, the holes can be arranged so as to form a particular pattern, e.g., a text or logo.
Preferably, in the portions of walls on which the holes 20 are arranged, the ratio of perforated to non-perforated surface is between 1:5 and 1:40, more preferably between 1:10 and 1:30. This allows to obtain a good compromise between the absorption of condensation by the container 10 and the mechanical weakening of the same due to the holes 20.
The holes 20 are for example obtained by means of die-cutting, using punches for holes or appropriately serrated blades, or by means of needles. If the container 10 is made of corrugated cardboard, the holes are preferably obtained when the sheets which form the corrugated cardboard are already assembled, so that the obtaining of a hole 20c in the corrugated sheet 17 involves obtaining a corresponding hole 20b in the first flat sheet 15, as shown in Figure 3.
The container for transporting foods 10 as described and illustrated is susceptible to further variations and modifications, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Container for transporting hot foods comprising a plurality of walls (11, 12a-d, 13) which identify a chamber (14) adapted to contain the food to be transported, said walls (11, 12a-d, 13) being made of water-absorbent material, said material comprising a first layer (15) facing said chamber (14), a second layer (16) facing the outside of the container, and an intermediate layer (17), arranged between the first layer (15) and the second layer (16) and comprising a gap (18a, 18b), in at least one of said walls a plurality of holes (20a, 20b, 20c) being obtained, crossing at least the first layer (15) of said material, said holes (20a, 20b, 20c) being adapted to put said chamber (14) in communication with at least part of said gap (18a, 18b),
wherein said holes (20a, 20b, 20c) do not cross the second layer (16) of said material, said container has a parallelepiped shape and comprises a base wall (11), four side walls (12a-d) and an upper wall (13), said holes (20a, 20b, 20c) being present in the base wall (11),

wherein said absorbent material is a cellulose-based material,

wherein said material of which the walls (11, 12a-d, 13) are made is corrugated cardboard, wherein said first layer is a first flat sheet of paper (15), said second layer is a second flat sheet of paper (16) and said intermediate layer is a corrugated layer of paper (17) comprising a plurality of ridges (17a) alternating with valleys (17b), the ridges (17a) being proximal to the first flat sheet of paper (15) and the valleys (17b) being proximal to the second flat sheet of paper (16),

wherein the gap comprises a plurality of channels (18a, 18b), of which first channels (18a) are delimited by a portion of corrugated sheet (17) comprised between two consecutive ridges (17a) and a portion of first flat sheet (15) delimited by said two consecutive ridges (17a), and second channels (18b) are delimited by a portion of corrugated sheet (17) comprised between two consecutive valleys (17b) and a portion of second flat sheet (16) delimited by said two consecutive valleys (17b),

said holes (20a, 20b, 20c) comprise first holes (20a) and second holes (20b), wherein said second holes (20b) are obtained in the first flat sheet of paper (15), at respective valleys (17b) of the corrugated sheet of paper (17), so as to put the chamber (14) in communication with the first channels (18a),

characterized in that said first holes (20a) are obtained in the first flat sheet of paper (15), at respective ridges (17a) of the corrugated sheet of paper (17), and cross said respective ridges (17a) so as to put the chamber (14) in communication with the second channels (18b).
Container according to claim 1, wherein said holes (20a, 20b, 20c) are between 0.2 and 10 mm in size.
Container according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein said holes (20a, 20b, 20c) comprise third holes (20c) obtained in the corrugated layer (17), between a ridge (17a) and a subsequent valley (17b), so as to put two contiguous channels (18a, 18b) in communication.
Container according to any one of the preceding claims, said container being a foldable box.
Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said holes (20a, 20b, 20c) are present in the base wall (11) and in the upper wall (13).
Container according to claim 5, wherein said holes (10a, 20b, 20c) are arranged on a circular portion of the base wall (11) and the upper wall (13).