IT202000013360A1 - A TAKE AWAY PIZZA HOLDER THAT CAN BE FITTED INTO A TRADITIONAL TAKE AWAY BOX - Google Patents

Description

Description accompanying the patent application for an industrial invention entitled:

A SUPPORT FOR THE TAKE AWAY PIZZA THAT CAN BE INSERTED INSIDE

THAN A TRADITIONAL TAKE AWAY BOX

Scope of the invention

The present invention relates to the technical sector relating to the transport of food.

In particular, the invention refers to an innovative device suitable for transporting still hot oven-baked food products, for example for take-away pizza, which device allows the product in question to be kept, when placed inside its cardboard takeaway, well lifted from the base of the carton so that it can also be ventilated from below.

Brief outline of the prior art

The takeaway ? has now become a habit to the point that many activities? commercial are dedicated exclusively to this service, so without making table services, while other activities? they do take-away and table service at the same time.

There are many take-away foods and they include products such as Sushi, pizza and focaccia in general as well as rotisserie products and other foodstuffs.

The activity? takeaway allows you to order by phone and / or via the Internet and the food product can? be picked up at the place of preparation or even delivered to your home.

A particularly felt technical problem concerns the maintenance of the take-away food product, for example the take-away of pizza and/or similar products such as crushed bread, focaccia and therefore bakery products in general.

For example, in the case of pizza, as is well known, there have been special cardboard boxes for a very long time in which it can be placed. pizza be inserted.

A cardboard sheet? worked according to a die-cut so that it can be folded and form a generally square or rectangular box having the upper lid which opens to insert the pizza. Box ? therefore obtained from a punched cardboard that folds in the shape of a box. Some of these take-away pizza boxes are structured in such a way that they can be easily stacked one on top of the other in a stable manner and therefore allow for easier transport by preventing some cartons from slipping relative to others. There? ? obtained with corners obtained in each box and which form a barrier against the sliding of the box stacked on top of another box.

An important technical problem concerns the correct ventilation that the pizza must have inside in order to arrive at its destination still hot but with correct cooking, exactly as when it is served on the plate directly in the room.

The fact that the pizza is enclosed in a cardboard whose height is ? slightly higher than that of a pizza (we are talking about heights of about 2-4 cm) causes a very hot/humid environment to be created inside the carton, due to the vapors emitted by the pizza itself, which causes a continuation of cooking of the pizza and a strong absorption of liquids by the dough. This means that an excessively prolonged time of permanence of the pizza in the carton can make the pizza soggy, not very fragrant and not very consistent, especially when? very topped with mozzarella and stringy cheeses loaded with a lot of liquid that is dispersed with the heat.

Consider that depending on the delivery distance, a pizza could remain in the carton even longer? of 20 minutes.

Therefore, for this purpose, the cardboard boxes are provided, generally in correspondence with the lid, with aeration holes.

Excessive ventilation implies for? a too rapid cooling of the pizza, which would arrive at its destination more? fragrant but cold, especially in the case of long distances to be covered.

Poorly effective ventilation can lead to have a pizza pi? hot but excessively cooked, therefore made too soft by excessive exposure to its own vapors.

Not ? currently it is easy to find a good compromise because, moreover, the pizza rests entirely on the cardboard base and therefore the aeration takes place exclusively from above but not from the base. There? therefore makes it more and more Is it complex to maintain quality? of the pizza.

The problem ? identical for other food products in general, such as bakery products, which can be delivered inside boxes (generally also in cardboard and of any shape) for transport.

Some pizza take-away solutions are currently commercially known which provide for the production of suitable boxes in various materials, generally bio-compostable, such as compostable plastics and the like.

Box ? generally made by molding and has a support surface for the pizza which is scattered with a plurality? of protuberances of various shapes and sizes placed inside the area of said support surface. In accordance with this solution, the pizza does not rest entirely on a flat surface but, rather, raised from the surface thanks to these protuberances that support the pizza. Overall, therefore, the contact area of the pizza with the protuberances? lower than the remaining area of the pizza base which is instead raised from the support surface, therefore being able to aerate well. Basically, the described system forms aeration channels underlying the pizza base.

This solution therefore allows a better dissipation of heat through the base of the pizza itself and this? contributes to its maintenance.

However, this solution has the technical problem of being complex because? requires a special realization of such boxes and whose production cost? certainly high.

AND? the solution described in EP3079998 is also known.

Summary of the invention

? therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a support device for take-away food products, for example from the oven, in particular pizza, focaccia and the like, which solves the aforementioned technical drawbacks.

In particular ? The purpose of the present invention is to provide a support which allows correct aeration of the food product, when placed inside its take-away box, thereby guaranteeing the quality? of the product for a longer time.

Pi? in particular ? therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an accessory which can be inserted inside a traditional take-away box, for example the one for pizzas, and which therefore results in a constructively simple, economical solution which does not oblige the specific realization of new types of boxes but which, instead, allows you to use already? the well-known and economic ones on the market.

These and other purposes are therefore achieved with the present support surface for supporting a food product, preferably a bakery food product such as a pizza or the like, in accordance with claim 1.

Such a support plan ? therefore an accessory that can be inserted inside a traditional take-away box.

This support plan has a plurality? of fold lines (11) arranged in such a way as to allow this plane to be folded along these fold lines so that the support plane can pass from a flat configuration to a configuration in which it assumes a wavy shape.

Therefore, after bending, the entire surface conforms like a sinusoid, thus forming ridges that represent support lines for the food product, for example pizza.

Between one crest and another, therefore, air circulation channels are generated.

In this way all the aforesaid technical drawbacks are easily resolved.

Thanks to the generation of a corrugated surface on which the freshly baked, and therefore hot, food product rests, the product will pogger? exclusively on the crests of the waves and not entirely on a flat surface, therefore having extremely small contact surfaces compared to the case in which it rested entirely on a flat surface.

This solution allows for better aeration of the product in particular on the part of its support surface since, between one crest and the other of the wave, the said passage and/or circulation channels for the air are formed.

Pi? in particular, in accordance with this solution, these support planes can be produced easily and at low cost, for example by making them in cardboard with a conventional punching machine.

In an extremely rapid, simple and economical way it is therefore possible to produce a large number of such support surfaces that the user, at the time of use, can preform in a corrugated way and affix inside the box for take-away.

The takeout box? in fact it too is a die-cut sheet, generally of cardboard, which is rapidly preformed by the user in the form of a box when it is necessary to insert the food product.

AND? for example, it is common to see in pizzerias the preparation phase of the cartons according to the number of pizzas that are taken out of the oven and generally this preparation? impromptu.

According to this solution, this accessory can? equally and quickly be preformed into a corrugated shape and inserted into the carton so that it forms the support for the food product as described.

Its production cost? low and therefore results in an accessory that optimizes and allows the use of a classic take-away box for pizza.

All hot take-away food products (that is, not at ambient temperatures but at temperatures close to those with which they have undergone cooking, as they have just finished the cooking process), can be transported with this support surface, as it retains its qualities.

Between one crest and another, in fact, as mentioned, vacuum channels are formed which allow the circulation of air inside the box.

There? favors the maintenance of the product that maintains its quality? for much more time.

A pizza transported with this device, when placed in its take-away carton, maintains its quality? for much more time and the production of this accessory? certainly much more simple and competitive compared to the case of molding an entire box conforming to the single asperities? support.

In accordance with the invention, therefore, advantageously this support plane ? a separate element from the box to which ? destined and ? therefore a removable element in such a way as to be inserted inside a take-away box for food products, preferably a cardboard box for transporting a freshly cooked and still hot oven-baked food product such as, for example, a pizza or the like .

Advantageously, the support plan can be further equipped with a plurality? of openings passing through the thickness.

In this way, the aeration of the base part of the pizza or of the food product in general is further improved.

Advantageously, the said support plan can? be for example in cardboard, for example a cardboard to pi? layers but could also be made of other materials, preferably recyclable.

Advantageously, these fold lines are parallel to each other.

Advantageously, these fold lines are straight linear notches passing through the entire thickness or, alternatively, straight linear notches which do not pass through the entire thickness.

The shape of the support plane can be rectangular or square but other shapes are not excluded, for example circular in case you want to conform it according to the shape of the product you will transport? (e.g. pizza).

Also the thickness pu? be selected as desired, for example in the range between 0.5 mm and 4 mm.

AND? Also described here is the combination of a box for transporting food products, preferably oven-baked food products such as a pizza or the like, and a support surface for as described and which ? that can be inserted inside the said box.

AND? Also described here is a method for positioning a food product, preferably from the oven such as for example a pizza or the like, inside a box for transport.

Said method provides for the preparation of the support surface, as described above, inside the cardboard box, and with said support surface folded so as to assume the corrugated shape. In this way a support surface is generated for the food product which? wavy.

AND? Also described here is a method for making a support surface for a food product, preferably oven-baked, such as for example a pizza or the like, the support surface being in the form of a sheet of material, preferably cardboard or the like, and the method providing for the realization of said flat sheet equipped with a plurality? of fold lines in such a way as to be foldable from a flat position to a wavy position and vice versa.

Advantageously, a plurality can also be made of holes passing through the entire thickness.

These holes further aid ventilation.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and the advantages of the present support, according to the invention, will be more clearly with the following description of some of its embodiments, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: - Figure 1 and figure 2 show two isometric views of the support, object of the invention, placed inside the carton for transporting the pizza;

- Figure 3 ? a top view of the media only in a flat sheet position;

- Figure 4 shows a view of the device closed on itself like an accordion

- Figure 5 ? a further top view when the device ? laid flat while figure 6 shows a side view in the configuration of use, thereby highlighting the various ridges formed by the sheet and on which a pizza rests; Thanks to the ridges on which the pizza rests, figure 6 shows the channels that are formed for the circulation of the vapors emitted from the pizza base;

Description of some preferred embodiments According to the invention ? described here a support plane 10 for a food product, preferably a bakery food product such as, for example, a pizza or the like.

The support plan? foldable in such a way as to be able to pass from a perfectly flat configuration to a wavy configuration in which it forms a series of parallel ridges and vice versa.

The crests support the product which, in this way, is as if it were suspended in the air so being able to ventilate well.

Going into more detail of the invention, figure 1 and figure 2 show a classic box for containing a pizza, well known in the state of the art and within which this accessory, i.e. the support plane, has been placed.

Box ? generally rectangular or square in shape but other shapes are existing or possible.

As is well known, it comprises side walls, a support base and a lid C.

The cover ? generally rotatable with respect to a side wall to be resealable to close the box.

Generally the whole box? made of cardboard (for example a corrugated multilayer cardboard even if other innovative materials are starting to be used).

Figures 1 and 2 also show the pre-cuts (T) through which a plurality of of openings for the passage of air, generally located in correspondence with the lid and the relative side wall which joins the lid to the base.

Other holes may be present for example on the other side walls.

The cardboard box for transporting pizzas or other baked food products? absolutely known art and not a specific object of the invention; for this reason it is therefore not further detailed here.

Going forward, however, in the detailed description of the invention, figure 1 shows a generally corrugated cardboard sheet 10, also visible in the top view of figure 1 (therefore corrugated external profile).

The wavy shape? to be understood precisely in the sense that the sheet can? be folded, in accordance with the presence of special fold lines, so that it assumes this wavy shape.

The schematization of figure 6 in fact clearly shows the corrugation of the sheet which therefore forms wave crests 11 which are those intended to support the food product (figure 6 schematizes a pizza placed on the crests of the wave).

The sheet, generally in cardboard, can be therefore fall back to m? of accordion in such a way as to conform a plurality? of ridges 11 on which the product rests.

In this way, the food product does not rest entirely on its base but, in fact, is kept raised from the support surface as it is supported only along lines which correspond to the length of the wave crests.

The corrugated sheet, as shown in figure 1, can? therefore be placed inside any pizza box and, as shown in figure 1, forms a corrugated support surface which supports the food product along the edges, lifting it from the support base of the box itself.

This actually allows excellent aeration of the food product thanks to the air passage and circulation channels that are obtained with the ridges themselves.

Every wave? therefore a succession of inverted Vs, as can be clearly seen from all the figures, for example figure 6.

The crests of the waves support the pizza (see also schematization of figure 6) while the bases of the V rest on the base of the box in which the sheet can be entered.

The V can be replaced with a continuous sine wave conformation and therefore not necessarily have a tip at the top but more? what else is a rounded shape with a certain radius of curvature.

Processing to get that takeaway stand ? pretty simple.

As shown in figure 3, the starting point is a flat cardboard sheet, for example of the same type as those used to make the pizza take-away box.

The sheet must have a standard size such that it can be inserted in a take-away pizza cardboard box and can therefore assume any form according to the type of box to which it will be? intended.

Since there are various sizes of take-away cardboard boxes, ? it is clear that the? expert in the branch can? make various formats of such a support plan.

The support plan (or sheet, if you prefer), so that? can fold back on itself in order to form the wavy surface therefore equipped with a succession of ridges, it is worked by creating fold lines 20, which can be rectilinear linear incisions.

These lines 20 can be incisions passing through the entire thickness or not passing through. The through solution yes ? demonstrated more advantageous in facilitating the formation of waves following bending.

Figure 3 and Figure 5 show in plan view these fold lines all parallel to each other.

The straight lines therefore develop in the Y direction of the sheet and are all parallel to each other and placed at a certain fixed distance from each other along the X direction for the entire width of the sheet (X direction of width; Y direction of height) .

Preferably each fold line which extends along the entire height of the sheet in the Y direction? generally in the form of two score lines, preferably through, which are separated from each other in a central area 25 (shown in figure 5) in which the sheet material remains intact.

Obviously, in fact, if there were a single incision line passing through the entire thickness and running along the entire height Y of the sheet, the result would be that of a detachment of the strip while, on the other hand, what do you want to obtain? a line which facilitates the folding of said strip with respect to the remaining part of the sheet (that is, its rotation of the strip around the fold line). A solution with an incision line that does not pass through the entire thickness of the sheet would allow the creation of a continuous line along the entire height Y of the sheet.

In this way, as evident from figure 3 or 5, are created a plurality? of strips which develop along the Y direction parallel to each other along the X direction and which can be rotated with respect to each other around the fold line 20.

In this way? The whole sheet is formable, the cio? can? be closed to m? of accordion in such a way that it conforms according to a wavy surface.

Passing from a flat sheet it can be? fold in wavy form or even when totally closed on itself you can? partially unfold in wavy form.

Two consecutive strips can rotate with respect to each other so that they fold into a V forming a wave with a crest 11. The crest 11 therefore coincides with the fold line 20 and this solution allows for the creation of a succession of parallel waves.

On each strip cos? generated are obtained then a plurality? of through openings 21, as always shown for example in figure 5 (also evident in figure 1 and figure 2).

These through openings further promote air circulation.

Can they therefore be in the form of a plurality? of through buttonholes.

Figure 4 shows the device in a completely closed accordion position (therefore folded completely on itself), so that it can be transported in a small space.

For example, all these devices can be produced which then, at the time of sale and delivery, can be stored in containers all folded like an accordion as in figure 4, thus taking up very little space.

At the time of use, the user spreads the sheet inside the pizza take-away box as shown in figure 1, thereby forming the corrugated surface.

Alternatively, they can be sold in stacks of flat products which are then shaped into a corrugated surface when they are used.

The wavy surface must not collapse on itself under the weight of the pizza but must maintain its wavy shape.

There? ? obtainable in various ways which fall within the routine practice of the expert in the art.

For example by selecting a suitable thickness of the sheet and/or generating the fold lines in the form of through cuts and/or of suitable length.

In any case, the solution described ? an accessory that fits, in a removable way, in a pre-existing take-away box and whose walls act as a containment. In this way, even when the corrugated sheet tends to collapse under the weight of the food product, tending to assume a flat shape, there is ? prevented by the walls of the box which act as a containment and prevent the sheet from spreading.

Yes ? moreover demonstrated experimentally that the undulated structure, as described, ? in itself self-supporting and manages well to distribute the load without collapsing even when very stuffed and heavy pizzas are placed on it when the sheet is not? not even included in the box.

As mentioned, suitable sizing of the sheet as a whole can allow surprising resistance results to be obtained.

The production of the sheet for as described ? very simple and cheap.

In the production phase, therefore, ? all you need is a die-cutter of a suitable shape which cuts the sheet in such a way as to generate the edges according to the desired shape (for example rectangular) and generate the fold lines and any further aeration slots.

In use, the invention can be completed by coupling the present device described with a further sheet, preferably made of waterproof material, for example baking paper or the like.

This can be placed on the base of the take-away box and on it, in turn, rests the device object of the invention.

In this way, any oils or liquids in general are collected from the underlying sheet, thus preserving the cardboard of the box more and avoiding that handling the box could cause stains on the person.

There? allows, moreover, to make the cardboard completely recyclable which pu? can also be used as a placemat to be placed directly on the table.

Although the invention is preferably addressed to pizza and similar bakery products, nothing excludes its use for transporting ?hot? products in take-away boxes? generally.

The cardboard that can be used to make the device can in turn be a cartoon pi? layers, for example with an internal structure of the ?corrugated? not to be confused with the term ?wavy? used to describe the external shape (that is, the external profile) that the sheet object of the invention assumes overall thanks to the fold lines of which ? gifted.

The cardboard can be in fact to one or more? layers. In the case of cardboard to pi? layers it ? generally in three corrugated layers, i.e. two perfectly flat outer sheets including ? interposed a sheet with the shape of a sinusoid. There are also more layers made of pi? flat sheets parallel to each other and including ? a sinusoidal sheet is interposed between one sheet and the other plane.

Thus, in general, cardboard always has a ?sandwich? wherein the two flat outer sheets pack at least one sinusoidal surface.

The cardboard sheet is corrugated? in the sense of being a pi? layers ? in any case a sheet that is perfectly flat in correspondence with its external surfaces and which is then worked as described in the present invention in such a way as to generate the fold lines and therefore be foldable in order to assume externally and overall a wavy shape of the entire sheet , i.e. a corrugated support surface for the food product as shown in the attached figures.

The described solution allows such ventilation that it would even be possible to reduce the number of pre-existing openings in a classic take-away pizza box.

Yes ? moreover experimentally found that the use of a corrugated cardboard, for example of the three-layer type, in which each fold line (the rectilinear incisions preferably passing through the thickness) moves each one along a crest of a single sinusoid of the interposed corrugated sheet between the two external flat sheets, then in this case the sheet obtained is more? easily foldable and stable.

Claims (10)

1. A support surface for supporting a food product, preferably a baked food product such as for example a pizza or the like, the support surface having a plurality of? of fold lines (20, 20?) arranged in such a way as to allow the support plane to fold back on itself along these fold lines to pass from a flat configuration to a configuration in which it assumes a wavy shape. 2. A support plane according to claim 1 wherein said support plane is an element that can be removed so that it can be inserted inside a take-away box for food products, preferably a cardboard box for transporting a bakery food product such as, for example, a pizza or the like. 3. A support plane, according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support plane is? further endowed with a plurality? of openings (21) passing through the thickness. 4. A support plan, according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said support plane is a paper material, preferably a cardboard, for example a pi? layers, and even more? preferably a cardboard of the corrugated type. 5. A support plan, according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said fold lines are mutually parallel. 6. A support plan, according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said fold lines are linear rectilinear notches passing through the entire thickness or, alternatively, linear rectilinear notches not passing through the entire thickness. 7. A support plan, according to one or more? of the preceding claims, wherein the thickness of said support surface is between 0.5mm and 3mm. 8. The combination of a box for transporting food products, preferably baked food products such as a pizza or similar, and a support surface such as one or more? of the previous claims which ? that can be inserted inside the said box. 9. A method for positioning a food product, preferably from the oven such as for example a pizza or the like, inside a box for transporting the food, the method providing for the preparation of the support surface for the food product, according to one or more of the preceding claims from 1 to 8, the support surface being arranged inside the box folded on itself in such a way as to assume the corrugated shape. 10. A method for making a support surface for a food product, preferably from the oven such as for example a pizza or the like, the support surface being in the form of a sheet of material, preferably cardboard or the like, and the method providing for the cutting to measure of the said flat sheet and the realization of a plurality? of fold lines in such a way as to be foldable from a flat position to a wavy position and vice versa and in which preferably a plurality of of holes passing through the entire thickness.