US2896837A - Severable frozen food carton - Google Patents

Description

July 28, 1959 E. J. Rlsuccl 2,896,837

SEVERABLE FROZEN FOOD CARTON Filed Sept. 23, 1957 Arrow/cy.:

,United States Patent iO This invention relates to food containers and/ or packages, 'in particular, to a novel package and blank therefor of the type disclosed in my co-pending United States patent application, Serial No. 604,892 filed August 20, 1956, now abandoned.

The desideratum of this invention is to provide a package in which frozen foods may be air-tightly contained and which package can be divided into compartments, each of which may be separated from the other when desired.

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a food package that is of air-tight construction and which may be employed in the process of freezing the foods contained therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a package forfrozen foods that will have defined compartments, each one of which maybe separated from the other without disturbing the food in the adjacent compartments. In carrying out this object, a feature of the invention resides in the provision of a cap that may be employed to airtightly and hygienically cover the open end of the pack- Yage after a compartment has been separated therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a frozen food package that will divide the food therein into sepa- -rate and distinct compartments so that the compartments and the food in each compartment may be separated from.- remaining compartments and the food therein in a clean, efficient and facile manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a blank for a food package of unique detail and novel con-- struction whereby the same may befcheaply manufactured, easily assembled and, when assembled, perform; the function of dividing the resulting package into separable compartments, delineating the food into each of such compartments.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the structures and arrangements hereinafter more fully' described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan View of the blank constructed in aecordance with the teaching of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the food package formedi from the blank shown in Fig. 1.'

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 2 taken along lines 3 3.. Y

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the forward end of the package in the Vprocess of being formed from the blank shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the package showing the .forward compartment separated from the remaining com-- partments, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the lstill connected o1" remaining compartments of Fig. 5 after the same have been recapped and completely enclosed.

Referring now to the blank generally identified by the numeral 10 shown in Fig. l. Blank 10 may be of any convenient material suitable for containing foods and capable of permitting such foods to be frozen or other- Patented lulyV 28, 1959 ICC wise treated. The blank 10 is elongated in length, which lengthV depends upon the number of food compartments that are desired. I f

Blank 10 comprises a plurality of pairs of closely spaced fold lines 12', 14 and 16. Each pair of foldV lines eX- tends across the width of the blank 1,0 or transverse to the length thereof. The space between each one of the pairs of transverse fold lines depends upon the desired length of each of the food compartments 18. Also extending transverse to the length of the blank 10, are a plurality of weakened lines 20. EachA one of the weakened lines 20 is positioned between each one of the sets of closely spaced transverse fold lines 12, 14 and 16 for `a purpose to be described.

Crisscrossing the closely spaced transversely extending fold lines, are transversely spaced fold lines 22, 24, 26 and 28. The fold lines '22 to 28 inclusive extend lengthwise along the blank 10 and permit the blank to be folded therealong into the tubular body that forms the food package lshown in Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive. -4 In order `to facilitate the easy folding of the blank 10 along its longitudinal length and thence' the formation of compartments 18 by the inward crimping of interruptions defined between each of the closely spaced pairs of fold lines 12, 14 and 16 as seen in Fig. 3, the blank 10 is provided with cut-outs 30.

The cut-outs 30 are formed in the blank 10 at the point where the transverse fold lines and the lengthwise fold lines cross each other. The longitudinal edges of the blank are notched at 32 to permit the formation ofthe f interruptions between each of the compartments L18y after the blank 10 has beenfolded along its `lengthwise fold lines 22 to '28 inclusive. The blank 10 is also provided with edge flaps 34 Vbetween each one of the pairs of transverse foldlines. These flaps -are adapted tosecure the blank 10 closed when it is folded lengthwise along the fold lines 22 to 28 to form the hollow food body gen- `erally identified .by numeral 35.

The hollow food body 35 is closed at its rear end by closure flaps 36 to 42 inclusive. Each one of the-closure flaps extends from the end of the blank 10 -between pairs of each one of the lengthwise fold lines 22 to 28 to overlap each other and to close the end of the hollow food body 35. Y

The .hollow food body is thus made into tubular formation by folding the blank 10 along each one of the lengthwise fold lines 22 to 28 vinclusive and then securing the edges of the blank at theedge securing flaps 34. The rear end .of the :hollow body is then hygienically closed by first bending inwardly the fiaps 38 and 42 and then covering the same by the longer flaps 36 and 40. The interior of the hollow body is then formed into separate and distinct compartiments by bending inwardly those portions of the blank 10 that are defined between the closely spaced lines 12-12, 14--14 and 16--16. The apex'of the bend terminates along the weakened lines or portions 20. Each of the folds that extend into and interrupt the `continuity of the open food body 35 are closed at their corners by the slight overlapping of the material resulting from the cut-outs30 and 32, thereby preventing the entry .of either .air or foreign matter into the interior of the be bent in the same direction into adjoining relationship,

and is a lengthwise extension from the blank 10, extending between the pair of lengthwise fold lines 22 and Z4.

In order to close the legs 48 into their joining relationship, the joining vstrip 54i's formed asf a part of the" cap body 50 and extendsV transversely therefrom.V The joining strip 54, extending from one of the legs 48 of the'cap body, is of a length equal to the perimeter formed by the four joining legs 48 and, for the sake of convenience, is provided with fold lines 56 that enable it to be folded about the perimeter of each one of the legs of the cap to completely enclose the same, sealing it as previously described, the cap 50 is 'formed as a lengthwise extension Afrom the blank and may be separated therefrom along a weakened line 58 for a purpose to be described, while its leg 48, adjacent the weakened line 58, is separated at its side from the blank adjacent the fold line 24.

After the hollow body 35 has been formed in the manner previously described with its interruptions extending into the body anddelning the compartments 18, the cap 50 is then closed over the forward end to provide a complete air-tight hygienic enclosure for the food therein. The first compartment 18 is easily closed by the cap 50 by swinging it relative to the body at the weakened line 58. To yfacilitate the closure of the rst compartment 18, the blank ,10 is provided with notches 60 that allow the entry Walls of the compartment to flex inwardly as the cap 50 is closed.

When it is desired to utilize the food in but only one of the compartments 18 of the body 35, the forward compartment thereof is bent relative to Athe remaining compartments and is severed therefrom along the weakened line 20. The weakened line 20, as can be seen more clearly in Fig. 5, projects well into the body of food and thereby provides a line of demarcation along which the lfirst compartment 18 may 'be separated from its remaining adjacent compartment. This line of demarcation also permits the clean severing of the food in a plane that is substantially normal to the length of the body 35. This break is more clearly visible in Fig. 5.

Those who are skilled in this art will clearly recognize that for foods which do not normally pack closely together, the extent of the indentation formed by the interruptions extending into the body 35 may be predetermined and need not be as great as Ithe length of the indentations extending into the body when such food is closely packed, leaving very litt-le air space. For example, the interruptions or indentations extending into the body 35 at Athe weakened portions 20, need not be as great for Brussels sprouts as they would need to be for closely packed ice cream or mashed potatoes. However, these indentations must be of sufficient extent and projection into the body 35 as to provide a clean break of the food at the ends of each compartment 18.Y

After the rst compartment 18 has been severed from the remaining lengthwise adjacent compartment, the cap 50 may then be severed from the first compartment along the weakened line 58 and then subsequently employed to recap and hygienically close the open end of the new forward compartment of the remaining body portion 35.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation Vmay be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a blank of elongated length to form a food package having separable compartments, a plurality of pairs of closely spaced fold lines formed Ion each blank transverse to the length thereof, each of said plurality of pairs of closely spaced fold lines being spaced from the other along the length of said blank, a plurality of weakened lines one each between each of said pairs of said closely spaced fold lines to provide la line along which the length of the blank may be separated, a plurality of relatively spaced lengthwise fold lines each crossing said pairs of transverse fold lines, and cut-outs in said blank at each `of said crossings of said fold lines.

2. ln a blank as in claim l, separate edge flaps onj said blank between each of said pairs of transverse fold lines to secure the edges of said blankfcl'osed when the same is folded lalong said lengthwise fold lines to form a hollow body. Y

3. In `a-blank fas in claim 2, separate closure flaps on one end of said blankv between each of said lengthwise fold lines to overlap each other Ito close their end of the hollow body.

4. In a blank as in claim 1, a cross-shaped cap ex- 'tending lengthwise of -said blank from a portion thereof defined between two of said spaced lengthwise fold lines at an endV of one of its cross-shaped legs, a weakened. line between said leg of said cap and the portion of said vblank from which said cap extends, to permit separation of the cap from the blank therealong, fold lines on said cap at each of its legs to enable the same to be folded into joining relationship, a joining strip on said cap of a length equal to the perimeter formed lby the four legs of `the cap, `and fold lines yon said joining strip to enable the same to be folded therealong about the perimeter of all of the legs of thecap to completely join the same.

5. A container for frozen food comprising -a tubular cardboard wall formed with a pair of Vgenerally parallel scores extending peripherally about said wall, -said tubular wall being formed with perforations arranged generally peripherally about said wall medially between said scores, the wall regions between each of said scores and `said perforations each extending generally radially inward from the adjacent portion of said wall in facing relation with each other Iand 4terminating at said perforations, whereby the container when lled with frozen food is ladapted to be broken at said perforations, the latter weakening the wall.

6. A container accor-ding to claim 5, in combination with a closure cap formed integral with said tubular wall in closing relation with an end thereof and severable from said tubular wall for closure of said container at its broken perforation.

References Cited n the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 428,502 Maggi May 20, 1890 1,122,548 Starrett Dec. 29, 1914 1,560,681 Fisher Nov. 10, 1925 1,598,951 Wright Sept. 7, 1926 2,145,430 New Ian. 31, 1939 2,179,504 Hasbrook Nov. 14, 1939 2,551,090 Bergstein May 1, 1951 2,582,655' Schenk I-an. 15, 1952

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