WO2021245595A1 - A support for takeaway pizza insertable inside a traditional takeaway box - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention concerns a support device for a baked food product, preferably a pizza or similar product, said support device comprising an undulated support surface.

Description

TITLE

A SUPPORT FOR TAKEAWAY PIZZA INSERTABLE INSIDE A

TRADITIONAL TAKEAWAY BOX

Scope of the invention

The present invention concerns the technical field of food transport.

The invention specifically relates to an innovative device suitable for transporting baked food products which are still hot, such as, for example, a takeaway pizza. When placed inside the takeaway box, said device holds the product in question in an elevated position from the cardboard box base, thereby allowing it to be aerated from below.

Brief outline of prior art

Takeaway food has become customary and many businesses offer this service exclusively without providing table-service. Other businesses, however, offer both takeaway and table-service.

Takeaway foods contain many products, such as sushi, pizza and flat breads in general as well as deli products and other foodstuffs.

A takeaway business is conducted by orders over the phone and/or via the Internet. The food product can then be collected at the place of preparation or can even be delivered to the home.

An important technical issue concerns the maintenance of takeaway food products, such as takeaway pizza and/or similar products, such as unleavened white pizza, flat breads and baked food products in general.

For example, in the case of pizza, as is well known, suitable cardboard boxes for the insertion of pizza have been in existence for a long time.

A cardboard sheet is manufactured by a punching in such a way that makes it foldable and forms a general square or rectangular box with the upper cover opening for the pizza to be inserted. Thus, the box is produced by a punched box which folds into the shape of a box. Some of these boxes for takeaway pizza are structured in such a way that they can be firmly stacked on top of each other and thus allow for easier transport, preventing some of the cardboard boxes from slipping. This is achieved with angles produced in each box, forming a barrier against the slipping of the box stacked on top of another box.

An important technical issue concerns the correct airing of the pizza in order to reach one's destination while still hot and with correct baking, in the same manner as when served directly on the spot.

The fact that pizza is enclosed in a cardboard box with a height slightly higher than that of a pizza (heights of around 2-4 cm) means that, due to the vapours emitted by the pizza itself, a strongly hot/humid environment causes the pizza to continue cooking and liquids to be heavily absorbed by the dough. This means that an excessively prolonged stay of the pizza in the carboard box can make it soggy, less fragrant and less consistent, especially when heavily seasoned with mozzarella and stringy cheeses loaded with liquid that is dispersed with the heat.

Depending on the delivery distance, a pizza could remain inside a cardboard box for over 20 minutes.

For this purpose, cardboard boxes are fitted with ventilation holes, generally in the lid.

However, excessive airing causes a rapid cooling of the pizza, which would arrive at its destination more fragrant but cold, especially when travelling longer distances.

Poor ventilation may cause a hotter but overcooked pizza. Therefore, it would be too soft due to excessive exposure to its own vapours.

At present, it is not simple to find a good compromise, given that pizza also fully rests on the base of the cardboard box. Therefore, ventilation occurs exclusively from above ridge but not from the base. Thus, this makes maintaining the quality of the pizza more complex.

This issue is identical to other food products in general, such as baked products, which may be delivered inside boxes for transportation (they are generally also made of carboard and have any shape).

Some solutions for takeaway pizza are currently known on the market and provide for the production of suitable boxes made of various materials, generally bio- compostable various materials, such as compostable plastics and similar materials.

The box is generally produced by moulding and has a support surface for pizza with a plurality of disseminated protuberances of various shapes and sizes placed inside the area of said support surface. According to this solution, the pizza does not fully rest on a flat surface, but is instead raised thanks to such protuberances which support it. Thus, as a whole, the contact area of the pizza with the protuberances is less than the remaining area of the pizza base, which is, instead, raised from the support surface, thereby providing ventilation. In essence, the system described forms airing channels underneath the pizza base.

Thus, this solution enables a better dissipation of heat through the base of the pizza itself which enables its maintenance. However, this solution has the technical drawback of being complex, given that it requires a suitable production of such boxes and the production cost is certainly high.

Moreover, the solution described in EP3079998 is known.

Publications WO2018/093586, US5052559, DE20003969 are further known.

Summary of the invention

It is therefore the aim of the present invention to provide an innovative support for takeaway food products, such as baked goods, specifically pizza, flat breads and similar products, which resolves the aforementioned technical drawbacks.

In particular, the aim of the present invention is to provide a support capable of enabling a correct airing of the food product when it is placed inside its takeaway box, thereby ensuring the quality of the food product for a longer period.

More specifically, the aim of the present invention is to provide an accessory which can be inserted inside a traditional takeaway box, such as a pizza box, which is a constructively simple economical solution that does not require specific new types of boxes, but instead uses common economical boxes present on the market.

Thus, these and other aims are achieved with the present support plane for supporting a food product, preferably a baked food product, such as a pizza or similar product, according to claim 1.

Thus, such support plane is an accessory that can be inserted inside a traditional takeaway box.

Said support plane has a plurality of fold lines (11) arranged in such a way as to allow the plane to be folded along said fold lines in such a way that the support plane can pass from a flat configuration to a configuration where it takes an undulated shape.

After folding, the whole plane is shaped as a sinusoid, thus forming ridges which represent support lines for the food product, such as pizza.

Thus, air circulation channels are generated between one ridge and another.

In this way, all the aforementioned technical drawbacks are easily resolved.

Thanks to the generation of an undulated surface on which the hot food product rests when just removed from the oven, it will rest directly on wave ridges rather than on a flat surface, thereby having extremely reduced contact surfaces as opposed to the resting on a flat support.

This solution enables a better ventilation of products, especially from a support surface, as said channels for air passage and/or circulation are formed between one wave ridge and the other.

More specifically, in accordance with this solution, said support plane can be readily produced at a low cost, for example, by producing them from cardboard with a traditional punching machine.

Thus, a large amount of said planes can be produced very quickly and at a low cost. At the moment of use, the user can pre-form them in an undulated way and fix them into the takeaway box.

In fact, the takeaway box is also a punched sheet, generally made of cardboard, which is quickly pre-formed by the user in the form of a box when the food product is to be inserted.

For example, pizza boxes are frequently prepared depending on the number of baked pizzas. This preparation is generally extemporaneous.

According to this solution, this accessory can be equally and quickly preformed in an undulated shape and can be inserted into the cardboard box in such a way as to form the support for the food product as described.

Its production cost is low and it is therefore an accessory which optimises and enables the use of a traditional cardboard box for takeaway pizza.

Thus, it is not necessary to modify the structure of pre-existing cardboard boxes, given that said accessory can be inserted into, and is adaptable, to commercially known cardboard boxes.

All takeaway hot food products (i.e., those not at room temperature but at close to cooking temperatures, since they have just finished their cooking process) can be transported with said support plane, given that it preserves quality.

In fact, as mentioned, hollow channels are formed between one ridge and another and they enable air circulation inside the box.

This maintains the product, which keeps its quality for a much longer period.

A pizza transported with such device, when placed inside its takeaway cardboard box, maintains its quality for longer and the production of this accessory is certainly simpler and more competitive than producing a moulding of a whole box shaping the single support asperities .

Thus, according to the invention, advantageously, this support plane is an element separated from the box to which it is intended and thus it is a removable element.

In this way, it can be inserted inside a takeaway box for food products (or removed from it, if necessary), preferably a cardboard box for transporting freshly cooked baked food products which are still hot, such as a pizza or similar products.

Advantageously, the support plane can be further fitted with a plurality of openings passing through the thickness.

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

Advantageously, said support plane can be made of cardboard, for example a cardboard with multiple layers, but it could be also produced with other materials, preferably recyclable materials.

Advantageously, these fold lines are parallel to each other.

Advantageously, these fold lines are either linear rectilinear incisions passing through the entire thickness or, alternatively, linear rectilinear incisions 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, such as circular, in the case of forming it according to the shape of the product to be transported (such as pizza).

Also, the thickness can be selected depending on choice, for example, in a range of between 0.5 mm and 4 mm.

Also described here is the combination of a box for transporting food products, preferably baked food products such as a pizza or similar products, and a support plane according to the description that can be inserted inside said box.

Also described here is a method for positioning a food product, preferably a baked food product such as a pizza or similar product, inside a box for transporting food.

According to the description above, said method provides for the arrangement of the support plane inside the cardboard box and with said support plane folded in such a way as to take the undulated shape.

In this way, an undulated support surface for the food product is generated.

Also described here is a method for producing a support plane for a food product, preferably a baked food product such as a pizza or similar product and with the support plane being in the form of a sheet of material, preferably cardboard or similar, and the method providing for the production of said flat sheet equipped with a plurality of fold lines in such a way as to be foldable from a flat position to an undulated position and vice versa.

Advantageously, a plurality of holes passing through the whole thickness can be produced.

These holes further facilitate ventilation.

Brief description of the drawings

Additional features and advantages of the present support, according to the invention, will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, given only by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 and figure 2 show two axonometric views of the support, subject of the invention, placed inside the cardboard box for transporting pizza;

Figure 3 is a view from above of the only support in a flat sheet position;

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

Figure 5 is a further view from above when the device is stretched flat while figure 6 shows a lateral view in a configuration of use, thereby highlighting the various ridges formed by the sheet on which a pizza rest. Thanks to the ridges where the pizza rests, the channels formed for circulation of vapours emitted by the base of pizza are evident from figure 6.

Description of some preferred embodiments

According to the invention a support plane 10 for a food product, preferably a baked food product, such as a pizza or similar product, is described here.

The support plane can be folded in such a way as to be able to pass from a perfectly flat configuration to an undulated configuration in which it forms a series of ridges parallel to each other and vice versa.

Ridges support the product in a way as if it were suspended in the air, thereby providing good ventilation.

Providing greater detail of the invention, figure 1 and figure 2 show a traditional box for containing a pizza, well known in the state of the art and within which said accessory, i.e., the support plane has been placed in it.

The box is generally rectangular or square shaped, although other shapes exist or are possible.

As it is well known, it comprises lateral walls, a support base and a cover C.

The cover can generally be rotated with respect to a side wall and can be closed.

Generally, the entire box is made of cardboard (for example, cardboard with multiple layers of the undulated type, even if other innovative materials are being used).

Figure 1 and 2 also highlight pre-cuts (T) through which a plurality of openings can be produced for the air passage, generally positioned in correspondence of the cover and of the corresponding side 1 wall which joins the cover to the base. Other holes can be present, for example on the other side walls.

The cardboard box for transporting pizzas or other baked food products is a well-known art and not a specific subject of the invention, for this reason it is not described in any further detail.

Instead, moving forward with the detailed description of the invention, figure 1 shows a cardboard sheet 10 of a generally undulated shape, also visible in a view from above of figure 1 (thus, the undulated external profile).

The undulated shape is to be understood precisely that the sheet can be folded with the presence of suitable fold lines, in such a way as that it assumes this undulated shape.

The arrangement of figure 6 shows undulation of the sheet forming wave ridges 11 which are those destined to support the food product (a pizza positioned on the wave ridges is arranged in figure 6).

The sheet, generally made of cardboard, can be folded like an accordion such a way as to shape a plurality of ridges 11 on which the product rests.

In this way, the food product does not fully rest on its base but it is raised from the support plane since it is only supported along the lines which correspond to length of the wave ridges.

As depicted in figure 1, the undulated sheet can be positioned inside any pizza box and, as highlighted in figure 1, it forms an undulated support surface supporting the food product along ridges, raising it from the support base of the box itself.

This allows an optimal ventilation of the food product thanks to passage channels and air circulation achieved with the ridges. Thus, each wave is a succession of an inverted 'V', as is clearly visible in all figures, such as in figure 6.

Wave ridges support the pizza (see also the arrangement of figure 6) while the base of 'V^f s rests on the base of the box inside which the sheet can be inserted.

The 'V's can be replaced with a continuous sinusoid conformation and, therefore, not necessarily have a tip at the ridge but, most importantly, a rounded shape with a certain radius of curvature.

Manufacturing such a takeaway support is quite simple.

As per figure 3, manufacturing starts from a flat cardboard sheet, for example, the same type of those used for producing the box for takeaway pizza.

The sheet must have a standard size that can be inserted into a takeaway pizza cardboard box, and can therefore assume any shape depending on the type of box to which it will be used.

Since various sizes of takeaway cardboard boxes exist, it is evident that skilled persons could produce various sizes of this support plane.

The support plane (or sheet), in order to be folded on itself to form the undulated surface equipped with a succession of ridges, is manufactured by creating fold lines 20 which can be linear rectilinear incisions (also called punching).

Such lines 20 can also be incisions passing either through the whole thickness or not.

The pass-through solution proved to be more advantageous to facilitate the formation of waves after folding.

Figure 3 and figure 5 show in plan such fold lines all parallel to each other.

Rectilinear lines develop to the direction 'U' of the sheet and all are parallel to each other and positioned at a certain fixed distance from each other along the direction 'C' for the entire width of the sheet (direction 'C' width; direction 'U' height).

Preferably, each fold line which extends along the entire height of the sheet to the direction 'U' is generally in the form of two incision lines, preferably passing through, which are separated from each other in centre area 25 (shown in figure 5) in which the sheet material remains whole.

As shown in figure 3, preferably such incision lines 20 may also not end on the side of the sheet but can therefore be interrupted further back, leaving a strip of intact material that joins the end of such incision 20 with the sheet edge.

Thus, preferably, as depicted in figure 3, there are three whole parts between the two consecutive incisions, namely the central part separating two incisions consecutive to each other, and the part separating the edge of the sheet from the beginning of the corresponding incision.

This solution provides good stability to the sheet when subject to the weight of the pizza during use to maintain its stability.

The size range of said whole parts can comprised, for example, between 3 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 4 mm and 8 mm and even more preferably of 5 mm or approximately 5 mm.

Obviously, if there was a single incision line passing the entire thickness and going along the entire height 'U' of the sheet, the result would be a detachment of the strip while, instead, the aimed result is a line which facilitates the folding of said strip with respect to the remaining part of the sheet (i.e., is its rotation of the strip around the fold line).

A solution with an incision line which does not pass through the entire sheet thickness would enable the production of a continuous line for the whole height 'U' of the sheet.

In this way, as it is evident from figure 3 or 5, a plurality of strips is created which develop along the direction 'U', parallel to each other along the direction 'C' and rotatable with respect to each other around the fold line 20.

In this way, the whole sheet can be folded in on itself, and can be closed like an accordion, in such a way that it conforms to an undulated surface.

Passing from a flat sheet, it can be folded in to an undulated shape, or even when fully closed on itself, it can be partially stretched in to an undulated shape.

Two consecutive strips can be rotated with respect to each other, thereby they fold into a 'V' forming a wave with ridge 11. Thus, ridge 11 coincides with the fold line 20 and this solution enables the production of a succession of parallel waves.

A plurality of pass-through openings 21 is produced on each strip in this way, as shown, for example, in figure 5 (they are evident also in figure 1 and figure 2).

Such pass-through openings further favour air circulation, in particular, through the sheet from the bottom upwards and/or vice versa.

Thus, they can be in the form of plurality of pass through loops.

As it can be inferred from the attached drawings, fold lines are incisions (pass-through or not pass through) whose width is generally minimal since the function is to enable a fold and obviously, in the case of fold line in the form of pass-through incision, the air passage through the sheet (from the bottom upwards or vice versa) by means of said fold lines is almost null, especially when the sheet is folded like an accordion and it has not been stretched out flat.

The ventilation openings (21) are still pass-through and can have a width in the order of 5mm or a range between 3mm and 5mm for example, and in anyway sized to perform the function of air passage through the sheet. Moreover, such openings 21, being present on each strip delimited by fold lines, do not close, instead occurring at least in part for fold lines during the sheet undulation, thereby maintaining their opening for air passage through the sheet.

An expert in the art could consider the most suitable sizes for their needs.

Obviously, holes 21 are not essential for the invention since raising the food product from the box base has primary importance for its ventilation, and thus the conformation of the sheet in the form of an undulated foldable and removable plane.

Figure 4 shows the device in a fully closed position like an accordion (therefore fully closed in on itself), so it can be transported with little encumbrance.

For example, all these devices can be produced when then, at the moment of sale and delivery, can be folded like an accordion as per figure 4 and stocked in containers, with few encumbrances.

At the moment of use, the user stretches the sheet inside the takeaway pizza box as per figure 1, thereby forming an undulated surface.

Alternatively, stacks of flat products can be sold and then shaped in the form of undulated shape at the moment of use.

The undulated surface must not collapse on itself under the weight of pizza, but must maintain its undulated conformation .

This can be achieved in various ways which fall within the routine practice of the skilled person.

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

In any case, the described solution is an accessory which can be inserted in a removable way into a pre existing takeaway box, and whose walls act as a containment. In this way, even when the undulated sheet tends to collapse under the weight of the food product tending to assume the flat shape, this is prevented by the walls of the box which act as a containment and prevent the sheet from fully unfolding.

Therefore, no permanent gluing or fixing of the sheet to the box base is necessary or even used.

The undulated shape, as described, is simply inserted and rests on the box base and can be removed immediately, if necessary.

As mentioned, in this way the sheet is removable and no modification is needed for standard pre-existing boxes.

Therefore, the described accessory is intended to be applied to pre-existing boxes and no structural modification is necessary, nor is any staple or anchoring means necessary to be arranged on the sheet and/or in the box, thereby producing an extremely simple and economical product.

Moreover, it has been experimentally proved that the undulated structure, as described, is self-supporting per se and is capable of distributing load without collapse, even when full and heavy pizzas rest on it, and when the sheet is not inserted into the box.

Therefore, the sheet subject of the invention is not fixed inside the box in any way and is fully removable since the containment walls of the box prevent it from collapsing on itself. It can be removed and re-inserted if necessary.

As mentioned, suitable sizing of the sheet as a whole can achieve results of surprising resistance.

The sheet production as described is very simple and economical .

Thus, in the production phase, a suitably sized punching machine is sufficient which cuts the sheet in such a way as to generate edges according to the required shape (rectangular, for example) and to generate fold lines and any further airing loops.

In use, the invention can be completed by coupling a further sheet to the present described device, preferably of waterproof material, such as parchment paper or similar material.

This can be positioned on the base of the takeaway cardboard box and, in turn, the device subject of the invention rests on it.

In this way, any oil or liquid in general is collected by the underlying sheet thereby greatly preserving the carboard box and avoiding causing any stains to the person.

Moreover, this renders the cardboard box as fully recyclable and can be used also as a place mat to be directly positioned on the table.

Although the invention is preferably intended for pizza and similar baked products, its use for transporting "hot" products in general in takeaway boxes is not excluded.

The cardboard that can be used to make this device can be that with multiple layers, for example with an internal structure of the "undulated" type that must not be confused with the term "undulated" used to describe the external shape (i.e. the external profile) assumed by the sheet subject of the invention thanks to the fold lines with which it is equipped.

In fact, cardboard can be with one or multiple layers.

In the case of cardboard with multiple layers, it is generally with three layers of the undulated type, i.e. two perfectly flat external sheets between which a sheet with a sinusoid shape is interposed. There are also more layers made of multiple flat sheets parallel to each other with a sinusoidal sheet interposed between a sheet and the other plane that exist.

Thus, cardboard in general always has a "sandwich" like structure in which two external flat sheets pack at least one sinusoidal surface.

The sheet of "undulated" cardboard, meaning that it has multiple layers, is a perfectly flat sheet in correspondence of the two external surfaces thereof, it is then manufactured as described in the present invention, to generate fold lines and to be foldable in order to assume externally and as a whole, an undulated shape of the entire sheet, that is an undulated support surface for the food product, as per attached figures.

The described solution enables such ventilation that it would also be possible to reduce the number of pre existing openings in a traditional cardboard box for takeaway pizza.

In addition, it has also been experimentally found that the use of an undulated cardboard, for example of the type with three layers, in which each fold line (rectilinear incisions preferably passing through the entire thickness) moves along a ridge of a single sinusoid of the undulated sheet interposed between the two flat external sheets. In this case, the produced sheet can be more easily folded stable.

Claims

1. A support plane for supporting a food product, preferably a baked food product such as a pizza or similar product, said support plane being a removable element so as to be insertable inside a takeaway box for food products, characterised by the fact that said support plane has a plurality of fold lines (20, 20') arranged in such a way as to enable the support plane to fold on itself along such fold lines to pass from a flat configuration to a configuration where it takes an undulated shape.

2. A support plane, according to claim 1, wherein said support plane is insertable inside a cardboard box for transporting a baked food product, such as a pizza or similar product.

3. A support plane, according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support plane is further equipped with a plurality of openings (21) passing through the thickness to favour ventilation through the plane.

4. A support plane, according to claim 3, wherein said openings (21) are disseminated in the strips of material delimited between two fold lines parallel to each other.

5. A support plane, according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said support plane is made of a paper material, preferably a cardboard, for example, a cardboard with multiple layers, and even more preferably cardboard of the undulated type.

6. A support plane, according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said fold lines are parallel to each other.

7. A support plane, according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said fold lines are linear rectilinear incisions passing through the entire thickness or, alternatively, linear rectilinear incisions which do not pass through the entire thickness.

8. A support plane, according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein each fold line is in the form of a first incision (20) and of a second incision (20') consecutive to each other and separated from each other through an end thereof by a part of intact material and with the other end separated from the edge of the support plane by a further part of intact material.

9. The support plane, according to claim 8, wherein said parts of intact material are comprised in a range of length between 3mm and 10mm, preferably between 4mm and 8mm, even more preferably of 5mm.

10. A support plane, according to one or more of preceding claims, wherein the thickness of the said support plane is comprised in a range between 0.5mm and 3mm.

11. The combination of a box for transporting food products, preferably baked food products such as pizza or similar products, and a support plane as per one or more of the preceding claims.

12. A method for positioning a food product, preferably a baked food product such as a pizza or similar product, inside a box for transporting food, the method providing the arrangement of the support plane of the food product, according to one or more of the preceding claims from 1 to 10, the support plane being arranged inside the box folded on itself in such a way as to assume the undulated shape.

13. A method for producing a support plane for a food product, preferably a baked food product such as a pizza or similar product, the support plane being in form of a sheet of material, preferably cardboard or similar product, and the method providing cutting to size said flat sheet and producing a plurality of fold lines in such a way as to be foldable from a flat position to an undulated position and vice versa.

14. The method, according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of holes passing through the entire thickness is produced.

15. The use of a support plane according to one or more of the preceding claims from 1 to 10 inserted in a box for transporting food products in such a way that said support plane stretches onto the box base taking the undulated shape such that undulation ridges sustain the food product maintaining it raised from the box base, preferably baked food products such as pizza.