US3097780A

US3097780A - Paper plate

Info

Publication number: US3097780A
Application number: US137640A
Authority: US
Inventors: Witmer Clarence Le Roy
Original assignee: American Can Co
Current assignee: Primerica Inc
Priority date: 1961-09-12
Filing date: 1961-09-12
Publication date: 1963-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1980-07-16

Description

July 16, 1963 c. LE ROY WITMER 3,097,780

PAPER PLATE Filed Sept. 12, 1961 r 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTdAA/fyI July 16, 1963 Filed Sept. 12, 1961 C. LE ROY WITMER I PAPER PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY WWW @w WWW United States Patent 3,097,780 PAPER PLATE Clarence Le Roy Witmer, Lands-dale, Pa., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 137,649 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-15) The present invention pertains to a plate or dish, formed from relatively thin paperboard and in particular pertains to a construction for such an article wherein the configuration of the peripheral rim lends rigidity to the article.

Paper plates or dishes made from relatively thin fiexible fibreboard are old and well known in the art. The most usual manner of using these articles is in buffet-type feeding wherein the food is placed on the plate at one place and the food-laden plate is then carried to some other place for consumption. People using such a plate have a tendency to grasp it adjacent its peripheral edge; and, due to the inherent flexibility of the material, when a food-laden plate is so grasped quite often it will flex or bend at the point grasped oftentimes spilling the food.

Ways and means of improving the rigidity of such paper plates has been an area of continuing investigation by the paper plate manufacturers. However, coupled with the problem of improving this rigidity is the need to maintain a paper plate construction which is very inexpensive. If this last requirement is not met, the construction defeats one of the basic functions of a paper plate; that is an inexpensive article adapted for single use and disposal.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a paper dish or plate formed from relatively thin fibreboard which has improved rigidity.

Another object is to provide a paper plate having improved rigidity which is inexpensive in raw materials and to manufacture.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

The present invention involves providing the rim of the paper plate or dish with a plurality of regularly shaped bosses in spaced lines extending around the periphery of the plate.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the paper plate of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the plate shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2. but showing a modified form thereof.

The following description of the instant invention will be of a circular paper plate. However, it is to be understood that the instant invention may be used on paper plates having other configurations such as square or rectangular. The paper or fibreboard from which the Plate of the instant invention is made has a thickness of about from .015 to .023 and preferably about .019 inch. Fibre- "ice board having such a thickness has little resistance to flexing or bending when a load is applied normal to one of its major surfaces.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention FIG. 1 shows a one piece paper plate generally designated 10, having a circular central panel -11. Extending upwardly and outwardly from the periphery of panel 11 is an arcuate side wall 112. Extending outwardly and slightly upwardly from the upper edge of the wall 1 2 is a rim generally designated 13 which terminates at its outer free edge in a downturned skirt 1-4.

Embossed in the surface of the rim '13 are a plurality of regularly shaped bosses 15 (FIG. 2). The bosses 15 are arranged on the rim 13 in three circumferential lines or concentric circles. The first circle of bosses is contiguous the juncture of rim 13 and the wall 12; the outermost or third circle of bosses is adjacent the rim skirt 14; and the second circle of bosses is disposed between the first and third circles. It has been found that at least two circles of bosses are necessary to improve the bending resistance of the paper plate and that three circles of bosses provide an optimum compromise between improving the bending resistance of the plate and ease of manufacture. However, it is to be understood that plates having more than three circles of bosses are included within the purview of the instant invention.

The bosses in each circle or circumferential line are substantially uniform in shape and size and are uniformly distributed around the circle, with each circle having the same number of bosses. To accomplish this, since the circumference of the circle increases as its radius increases, the bosses in the outer circles are larger than bosses in the inner circles. Also, by reference to the dot-dash lines in FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be seen that the height of the bosses above the surface of the rim 13 is greater in the outer circles than in the inner circles.

The bosses are staggered in a radial direction so that the bosses in every other circle are in radial alignment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each boss is substantially rectangular, and is separated from the next boss in its circle by a substantially rectangular flat 16. Due to the staggered relationship between the rectangular bosses 15, the bosses in the second or intermediate circle have all four edges abutting a flat 16'. However, there is corner contact between the bosses in adjacent circles.

FIG. 5 shows a modified form of the subject invention wherein the rim 13 of the plate 10 has circular bosses 15a having flats or depressions 16a therebetween. The size, height and position relationships between the bosses 15a are the same as for the bosses 15.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a paper plate composed of a relatively flexible paperboard and having a central panel, a wall extending obliquely upwardly from said panel, and a rim extending substantially outwardly from said wall, the improvement comprising a first line of regularly shaped bosses extending around said rim, and a second line of said bosses spaced outwardly from and adjacent to said first line, the bosses in said first line being contiguous the juncture of said wall and said rim, the bosses in each of said first and second lines being regularly spaced, and each boss in said second line being contiguous and in staggered relation to a boss in said first line.

2. The plate set forth in claim 1 wherein said rim has a third line of bosses extending around the periphery of said rim, outwardly from said second line, and each boss in said third line is contiguous and in staggered relation to a boss in said second line.

3. The plate set forth in claim 2 wherein the bosses in each line are substantially the same size and shape.

4. The plate set forth in claim 3 wherein the bosses increase in size and height from said first line to said third line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. IN A PAPER PLATE COMPOSED OF A RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE PAPERBOARD AND HAVING A CENTRAL PANEL, A WALL EXTENDING OBLIQUELY UPWARDLY FROM SAID PANEL, AND A RIM EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAIDWALL, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A FIRST LINE OF REGULARLY SHAPED BOSSES EXTENDING AROUND SAID RIM, AND A SECOND LINE OF SAID BOSSES SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM AND ADJACENT TO SAID FIRST LINE, THE BOSSES IN SAID FIRST LINE BEING CONTIGUOUS THE JUNCTURE OF SAID WALL AND SAID RIM, THE BOSSES IN EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND LINES BEING REGULARLY SPACED, AND EACH BOSS IN SAID SECOND LINE BEING CONTIGUOUS AND IN STAGGERED RELATION TO A BOSS IN SAID FIRST LINE.